Kazuo Mori

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

The Tale of Zatoichi proved so popular that a follow-up went into production the same year. Here, Zatoichi is hired to give a massage to a powerful political official who, he discovers, is mentally ill—a secret that the nobleman’s retinue is determined to keep at any cost. This second Zatoichi film picks up the pace, featuring bigger action sequences, tighter plotting, and a mysterious one-armed swordsman played by star Shintaro Katsu’s brother Tomisaburo Wakayama (Lone Wolf and Cub).

Film Info

  • Japan
  • 1962
  • 72 minutes
  • Black & White
  • 2.35:1
  • Japanese

Available In

Collector's Set

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman

Blu-ray Box Set

9 Discs

$159.96

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
Cast
Shintaro Katsu
Zatoichi
Tomisaburo Wakayama
Yoshiro
Yoshie Mizutani
Osetsu
Masayo Banri
Otane
Sonosuke Sawamura
Boss Kanbei
Shosaku Sugiyama
Tamigoro
Tamiemon Arashi
Yoshida
Yoshita Yamaji
Yahei
Eijiro Yanagi
Boss Sukegoro
Fujio Harumoto
Lord Kuroda
Credits
Director
Kazuo Mori
Produced by
Ikuo Kubodera
Original story by
Kan Shimozawa
Screenplay
Minoru Inuzuka
Cinematography
Shozo Honda
Edited by
Takashi Taniguchi
Original music
Ichiro Saito
Art direction
Seiichi Ota

Current

Tony Rayns on the Meaning of Zatoichi
Tony Rayns on the Meaning of Zatoichi

Asian-cinema expert Tony Rayns unpacks the significance of Zatoichi’s name and the strict social hierarchy that the character so gleefully upends.

On the Road with Zatoichi
On the Road with Zatoichi

He massages, he gambles, and he’s great with a blade. Who is this blind swordsman, anyway?

By Geoffrey O'Brien