Zatoichi's trek through 88 temples to atone for his violent past is interrupted as he stumbles into a village terrorized by a violent yakuza boss.
Acting
Shintarō Katsu's physicality — blind precision that never feels performed.
Direction
Ikehiro's economy: 82 minutes, zero fat, maximum moral weight.
Director
Kazuo Ikehiro
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 88-temple Shikoku pilgrimage remains one of Japan's oldest spiritual practices; Zatoichi's failure to complete it is the series' quietest tragedy.
This was Ikehiro's second Zatoichi film — he would direct five total, each under 90 minutes. The man's allergic to bloat.
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