Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival
Zatoichi-abare-himatsuri-japanese-movie-poster-md.jpg
Directed by Kenji Misumi [1]
Screenplay by
Story by Kan Shimosawa [3]
Produced byShintaro Katsu [3]
Starring
Cinematography Kazuo Miyagawa [3]
Edited byToshio Taniguchi [2]
Music by Isao Tomita [2]
Production
companies
Distributed by Dainichi Eihai
Release date
  • 12 August 1970 (1970-08-12)(Japan)
Running time
95 minutes [3]
CountryJapan

Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival (座頭市あばれ火祭り) is a 1970 Japanese Chambara film directed by Kenji Misumi and starring Shintaro Katsu, who also produced and co-wrote the script. It is the twenty-first of a series of films featuring the blind swordsman Zatoichi. The main character is based on a fictional character, a blind masseur and swordmaster. He was created by novelist Kan Shimozawa and set during the late Edo period (1830s and 1840s).

Contents

Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival was the last film in the original saga of Zatoichi (1962–1989) directed by Misumi, who had also directed the first film of the series, and several others as well.

Synopsis

[4]

During his wanderings, Zatoichi comes across with a group of people connected with an infamous Yakuza boss, known as "Dark Lord" Yamikubo. Yamikubo is blind like Ichi, but he is indeed evil, and rules with an iron fist a great region of lands and towns who pay tribute to him. After Zatoichi tries to help a woman who has been bought at a "mistress auction" organized by one of Yamikubo's henchmen, the Dark Lord uses the beautiful Okiyo, his protégé, as a spy who must seduce and take Ichi's shikomi-zue (cane sword) away. But shortly after meeting him, Okiyo falls in love with Ichi and refuses to carry out her mission. Yamikubo then devises another way of drawing the blind swordsman close and kill him during the famous "Fire Festival", which Zatoichi decides to attend despite the danger involved.

Cast

Production

Release

Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival was released in Japan on August 12, 1970. [3] The film was followed-up with the sequel Zatoichi Meets His Equal . [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zatoichi</span> Fictional Japanese blind masseur, gambler and blademaster

Zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest-running series of films, as well as a television series. Both are set during the late Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and blademaster, was created by novelist Kan Shimozawa.

<i>Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo</i> 1970 Japanese film

Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo (座頭市と用心棒) is a 1970 Japanese drama film directed by Kihachi Okamoto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimiyoshi Yasuda</span>

Kimiyoshi Yasuda was a Japanese film director from the 1930s to 1970s. He directed six films about Zatoichi, the Blind Swordsman.

<i>The Tale of Zatoichi</i> 1962 Japanese film

The Tale of Zatoichi, directed by Kenji Misumi, is the first film of a classic Japanese samurai drama saga starring Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi, a character created by Kan Shimozawa.

<i>Zatoichi the Fugitive</i> 1963 Japanese film

Zatoichi: The Fugitive is a 1963 Japanese Chambara film directed by Tokuzō Tanaka starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi, originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company. Zatoichi: The Fugitive is the fourth episode in the 26 part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi.

Zatoichi: On the Road is a 1963 Japanese Chambara film directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi, originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company. Zatoichi: On the Road is the fifth episode in the 26 part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi.

<i>The Tale of Zatoichi Continues</i> 1962 Japanese film

The Tale of Zatoichi Continues 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.

<i>Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman</i> 1971 Japanese film

Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman, also known as Zatoichi Meets the One-Armed Swordsman and The Blind Swordsman Meets His Equal, is a 1971 Japanese-Hong Kong chambara / wuxia crossover by Japanese film director Kimiyoshi Yasuda and Chinese film director Hsu Tseng Hung. The film stars Shintaro Katsu as the blind swordsman Zatoichi and Jimmy Wang Yu as the "One-Armed Swordsman" Wang Kang. It is a crossover of the long-running Zatoichi series and the One-Armed Swordsman film series.

Zatoichi's Flashing Sword is a 1964 Japanese chambara film directed by Kazuo Ikehiro starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Fight, Zatoichi, Fight is a 1964 Japanese chambara film directed by Kenji Misumi and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Adventures of Zatoichi is a 1964 Japanese chambara film directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi and the Doomed Man is a 1965 Japanese chambara film directed by Kazuo Mori and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi and the Chess Expert is a 1965 Japanese chambara film directed by Kenji Misumi and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi's Vengeance is a 1966 Japanese chambara film directed by Tokuzō Tanaka and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi's Pilgrimage is a 1966 Japanese chambara film directed by Kazuo Ikehiro and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi's Cane Sword is a 1967 Japanese chambara film directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi the Outlaw is a 1967 Japanese chambara film directed by Satsuo Yamamoto and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company, and is the first film produced by Katsu Productions.

Zatoichi Challenged is a 1967 Japanese chambara film directed by Kenji Misumi and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company.

Zatoichi at Large is a 1972 Japanese film directed by Kazuo Mori. The film stars Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi, a blind swordsman and masseur who helps deliver a baby and transport it to its relatives after its mother dies. It was the 23rd film in the Zatoichi film series and the first distributed by Toho, while all others were distributed by Daiei.

Zatôichi (座頭市), also known as Zatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally, Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman and Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi, is a 1989 Japanese Chambara film directed by and starring Shintaro Katsu, who also produced and co-wrote the screenplay. It is the twenty-sixth entry in a series of films featuring the blind swordsman Zatoichi, released 16 years after the twenty-fifth film in the series Zatoichi's Conspiracy (1973). The main character is based on a fictional character, a blind masseur and swordmaster created by novelist Kan Shimozawa and set during the late Edo period.

References

Footnotes

  1. "映画監督 三隅研次" (in Japanese). National Film Archive of Japan. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Zatoichi Goes to the Fire Festival". The Criterion Collection . Retrieved February 10, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Galbraith IV 1996, p. 456.
  4. "座頭市あばれ火祭り". Kinema Junpo . Retrieved 11 January 2021.

Sources

  • Galbraith IV, Stuart (1996). The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994. McFarland. ISBN   0-7864-0032-3.