Zatoichi Challenged
Zatoichi Challenged

座頭市血煙り街道
Zatōichi Chikemurikaidō
Zatoichi Blood Smoke Road
Director | Kenji Misumi |
Original Story | Kan Shimozawa |
Screenplay | Ryozo Kasahara |
Photography | Chikashi Makiura |
Sound | Gen Otani |
Lighting | Reijiro Yamashita |
Art | Shigenori Shimoishizaka |
Music | Akira Ifukube |
Editor | Toshio Taniguchi |
Theme Song Performer | Shintaro Katsu |
Production Companies | Daiei |
Release Date | December 30, 1967 |
Runtime | 87 minutes |
Preceded by | Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967) |
Followed by | Zatoichi and the Fugitives (1968) |
![]() 座頭市血煙り街道 Zatōichi Chikemurikaidō Zatoichi Blood Smoke Road |
Director | Kenji Misumi |
Original Story | Kan Shimozawa |
Screenplay | Ryozo Kasahara |
Photography | Chikashi Makiura |
Sound | Gen Otani |
Lighting | Reijiro Yamashita |
Art | Shigenori Shimoishizaka |
Music | Akira Ifukube |
Editor | Toshio Taniguchi |
Theme Song Performer | Shintaro Katsu |
Production Companies | Daiei |
Release Date | December 30, 1967 |
Runtime | 87 minutes |
Preceded by | Zatoichi the Outlaw (1967) |
Followed by | Zatoichi and the Fugitives (1968) |
Zatoichi stays at an inn, where he is made to share a room with a boy and his dying mother. The mother requests Zatoichi to take the boy, Ryota, to find his father in Maebara, and passes away. Zatoichi and Ryota make their way to Maebara, where Zatoichi inquires after the father, Shokichi. He learns that Shokichi was previously apprenticed to a potter, Tahei, but fell in with a bad crowd under Boss Gonzo and disappeared. At the same time Zatoichi tries to find Shokichi, a mysterious samurai, Akatsuka, is investigating Gonzo and his benefactors.
Shokichi is actually being held hostage at Gonzo’s, and is being forced to create erotic and lewd designs for printing on forbidden ceramic pottery, to be sold on the black market. Akatsuka is a government agent tasked with rooting out the corruption in Maebara that is allowing the trade to occur. He slays the local inspector, Torikoshi, and sets his sights on Gonzo and Shokichi. Zatoichi learns of Shokichi’s predicament and rescues him from the yakuza, delivering him safely to Tahei’s, where he’s reunited with Ryota. Shokichi and Tahei’s daughter, Omitsu, plan to marry and raise Ryota together.
Gonzo’s men raid Tahei’s place, slaying him and kidnapping Omitsu and Ryota, in a bid to draw out Zatoichi and Shokichi. Zatoichi storms Gonzo’s estate, slaying Boss Gonzo and his soldiers while Shokichi rescues Omitsu and Ryota. On their way out of town, they are confronted by Akatsuka, who is duty bound to execute Shokichi. Zatoichi pleads their case but the samurai is resolute, and challenges Zatoichi to a duel. However, when Zatoichi loses his sword and resists Akatsuka completely unarmed, Akatsuka is moved by his selflessness and admits defeat, allowing Shokichi and his new family to leave in peace.
Top Billed Cast
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Rest of Cast Listed Alphabetically
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Top Billed Cast

Zatoichi

Akazuka

Omitsu

Tomoe

Osen

Miyuki

Shokichi

Boss Gonzo

Omine

Taibei

Torikoshi

Nagayoshi

Manzo

Hanzo

Gokichi

Sobei

Nakai

Naruyama

Doctor

Kanta

Genshiro Itoyama

Takio

Thug

Isuke

Tea Shop Owner

Yakuza
Rest of Cast Listed Alphabetically

Yakuza
企画 Planning |
久保寺生郎 Ikuo Kubodera |
原作 Original Story |
子母沢寛 Kan Shimozawa |
脚本 Screenplay |
笠原良三 Ryozo Kasahara |
撮影 Photography |
牧浦地志 Chikashi Makiura |
録音 Sound |
大谷厳 Gen Otani |
照明 Lighting |
山下礼二郎 Reijiro Yamashita |
美術 Art |
下石坂成典 Shigenori Shimoishizaka |
音楽 Music |
伊福部昭 Akira Ifukube |
編集 Editor |
谷口登司夫 Toshio Taniguchi |
擬斗 Action |
宮内昌平 Shohei Miyauchi |
助監督 Assistant Director |
友枝稔議 Minoru Tomoeda |
製作主任 Production Manager |
西沢鋭治 Eiji Nishizawa |
主題歌 Theme Song |
大映レコード Daiei Records |
歌 Performer |
勝新太郎 Shintaro Katsu |
現像 Developing |
東洋現像所 Toyo Laboratory |
出演者 Performers |
|
勝新太郎 Shintaro Katsu |
|
近衛十四郎 Jushiro Konoe |
|
高田美和 Miwa Takada |
|
朝丘雪路 Yukiji Asaoka |
|
坪内ミキ子 Mikiko Tsubouchi |
|
中尾ミエ Mie Nakao |
|
伊藤孝雄 Takao Ito |
|
小池朝雄 Asao Koike |
|
磯村みどり Midori Isomura |
|
松村達雄 Tatsuo Matsumura |
|
小沢栄太郎 Eitaro Ozawa |
|
千波丈太郎 Jotaro Senba |
|
草薙幸二郎 Kojiro Kusanagi |
|
田武謙三 Kenzo Tabu |
|
なべおさみ Osami Nabe |
|
戸田皓久 Takahisa Toda |
|
藤山浩二 Koji Fujiyama |
|
水原浩一 Koichi Mizuhara |
|
毛利郁子 Ikuko Mori |
|
杉山昌三九 Shosaku Sugiyama |
|
寺島雄作 Yusaku Terashima |
|
南條新太郎 Shintaro Nanjo |
|
伊東光一 Koichi Ito |
|
玉置一恵 Kazue Tamaki |
|
堀北幸夫 Yukio Horikita |
|
沖時男 Tokio Oki |
|
斉藤信也 Shinya Saito |
|
小林加奈枝 Kanae Kobayashi |
|
勝村淳 Jun Katsumura |
|
上原寛二 Kenji Uehara |
|
伊東義高 Yoshitaka Ito |
|
森内一夫 Kazuo Moriuchi |
|
山岡鋭二郎 Eijiro Yamaoka |
|
西田弘善 Hiroyoshi Nishida |
|
薮内武司 Takeshi Yabuchi |
|
園恵子 Keiko En |
|
谷口和子 Kazuko Taniguchi |
|
監督 Director |
三隅研次 Kenji Misumi |