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The Tale of Zatoichi Continues

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues
The Tale of Zatoichi Continues.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Kazuo Mori
Written by Kazuo Mori
Starring Shintarō Katsu
Music by Ichirō Saitō
Cinematography Shōzō Honda
Edited by Toshio Taniguchi
Production
company
Distributed by Daiei Film
Release date
  • October 12, 1962 (1962-10-12)
Running time
72 minutes
Country Japan
Language Japanese

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues (続・座頭市物語 Zoku Zatōichi Monogatari?) is a 1962 Japanese film directed by Kazuo Mori and starring Shintaro Katsu as Zatōichi the blind swordsman, a character created by Kan Shimozawa. The Tale of Zatoichi Continues is the second entry in the popular, long-running Zatoichi series.

One year after the first film, Zatōichi travels back to the town near the Joshoji Temple, to pay respects at the grave of Hirate, the samurai he killed. Three brigands attack Zatōichi while he dries his clothes, and are despatched by a one-armed swordsman. Later that day, Zatōichi is hired to massage a powerful lord who, unbeknownst to all but the lord's highest retainers, is insane. Zatōichi observes the nobleman's unstable mental condition, and the retainers decide to kill him. Zatōichi defeats the first three attackers, and retires to a restaurant. The attack having failed, the lord's men hire local yakuza (gangsters) to finish the job. Learning of this, Zatoichi remarks to himself that he would have kept quiet if they had just asked him to do so.

Three prostitutes in the restaurant discuss how many men are now looking for Zatōichi, and how they will have no business. One of them, Setsu, grows very fond of Zatōichi very quickly, asking him to spend the night with her, and saying that her own father was blind and yet married three women. While Zatōichi sits in a back room the one-armed swordsman, Yoshiro, and his companion enter the same restaurant. The companion remarks how Setsu looks exactly like Chiyo, a woman Yoshiro once loved. Yoshiro demands that Setsu spend the night with him. Setsu refuses, and Zatōichi re-enters the room. Yoshiro tells a short story of how Chiyo left him after he became a cripple. Zatōichi says that he too loved a woman named Chiyo but that she, upon discovering he was blind, left him for the man she hated most in the world. In his rage, Zatōichi says, he sought out this man and attacked him. Zatōichi leaves with Setsu. In the morning, she remarks that it is as if they were married. Learning that he is to be killed, she urges Zatōichi to leave, but he awaits the attackers.


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