Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival

1970 1h 36m JA

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 48

AdventureActionDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The blind masseuse is targeted by the leader of a powerful yakuza group while also fending off a jealous husband bent on revenge. Zatoichi tours Edo's underground via a rousing onsen fight scene, gambling houses and the gender-bending character of Umeji, before a final, flame-filled conflagration.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

Criterion ChannelSubscription

Cast

Shintarō Katsu
Zatoichi
Tatsuya Nakadai
Ronin
Reiko Ōhara
Okiyo
Masayuki Mori
Boss Yamikubo
Shinnosuke Ikehata
Umeji
Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Wife
Kō Nishimura
Migi
Ryūnosuke Kaneda
Boss Kuroko

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenji Misumi
Writers: Yamada Takayuki, Kan Shimozawa, Shintarō Katsu
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

56 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kenji Misumi, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Shintarō Katsu and Tatsuya Nakadai and Reiko Ōhara carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0164982 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenji Misumi directs. Kazuo Miyagawa behind the camera. Isao Tomita scores. Toshio Taniguchi cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

156 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Kenji Misumi, shot by Kazuo Miyagawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Isao Tomita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Toshio Taniguchi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Shintarō Katsu and Tatsuya Nakadai and Reiko Ōhara carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0164982 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Kazuo Miyagawa
Original score: Isao Tomita
Editing: Toshio Taniguchi
Production design: Yoshinobu Nishioka
Costume design: Yoshio Ueno
Runtime: 96 min · 1h 36m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (1970)

Part of

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman Collection

The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese history and created one of the screen’s great heroes: an itinerant blind masseur who also happens to be a lightning-fast swordsman. As this iconic figure, the charismatic and earthy Shintaro Katsu became an instant superstar, lending a larger-than-life presence to the thrilling adventures of a man who lives staunchly by a code of honor and delivers justice in every town and village he enters.