A DAIEI CO. LTD. PRODUCTION
THE TALE OF ZATOICHI CONTINUES
Original story by KANSHI MOZAWA Screenplay by MINORU INUZUKA
Starring:
SHINTARO KATSU KENZABUROJO
YOSHIE MIZUTANI and MASAYO BANRI
Directed by KAZUO MORI
You in the boat, wait!
We're in a hurry. Everyone out!
Come on, out!
I'll be right back. Please wait.
We can't wait.
That's why I want everyone out!
Let's go.
This is unfair.
What? You have something to say to me?
Boatman, hurry up.
I don't know who these roughnecks are, but I've got to get to work too.
That's right.
Come on. Let's go.
Who is this fellow?
Blind man, you get out too.
I'm talking to you.
Why are you still here?
- Are we there? - Idiot!
Please, don't be so rough.
We don't need a priest here. Let me help you out.
What's the matter?
What happened?
- He cut my face. - Who did?
- That blind rat! - Him?
How could he have done that?
Hold on till we get to shore.
Your sword is missing.
- What a nuisance! - Damn it!
Are you all right?
It hurts.
- I've got it! He must be Zatoichi. - Zatoichi?
Haven't you heard about the masseur
who is a skilled swordsman?
In the war between Iioka and Sasagawa, he killed a renowned samurai.
They say he won the war single-handedly.
That man?
That's right. He must be Zatoichi.
No wonder he was so quick with the sword.
It was like lightning.
Master swordsman or not, we still outnumber him.
Are we such cowards that we can't take care of a single blind man?
- Are you saying we should go after him? - He can't be that fearsome. Let's go.
He must still be nearby. Let's find him.
Let's go!
There he is.
Your name is Zatoichi, isn't it?
It's beneath us to come after a blind man,
but it's another story if you're really Zatoichi.
That was a clever trick you played earlier.
We're here to even the score.
- Get up! - Let's see your sword work.
- You dare interfere with us? - Let's take care of this fellow first.
What's wrong?
Masseur,
when you're finished there, could you come in?
I'm almost done.
Thank you for waiting.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Watch your step.
- Where did you find him? - He's a traveling masseur.
Thank you.
He's filthy.
- Shall I give him a bath first? - Do that.
Masseur,
the man you are about to massage is in fact a lord
returning to his home province from Edo.
We will tip you well, so take care to be courteous.
But why is a traveling masseur like me
called to render service to such a lord?
I don't know,
but it is a great honor for you, so do your work with extra care.
I will. Thank you.
Sir, where are you headed with your entourage?
Did I tickle you?
You must be tired from your long journey.
Let me work on this.
Hey! That's--
What are you--
Sir--
I'm ticklish too.
It's getting warm in here. I'll just take this off.
I've never had a customer like you.
Please lie still for a moment.
I've never met a customer like this one.
How is that?
This is unbelievable.
This way.
Thank you very much.
The lane is a little uneven. I'll walk with you a little way.
Thank you for your trouble.
Be careful.
Thank you very much for walking with me.
There are inns nearby. I'll take you to one.
- No, I'll be all right. - Are you sure?
- Yes, I'll be fine. - Take care.
Surely you men are not thieves.
Is there something you want from me?
You must be samurai. No doubt you're staying at the inn--
It's dangerous to draw your sword.
You know the saying about a knife in a madman's hand.
Just because your master is crazy
doesn't mean his retainers have to act like madmen too.
Blind man, who are you?
- I'm just a masseur. - You are no ordinary masseur.
If I were, I would be dead by now.
Our men were killed? How can that be?
It was just a blind man they went after.
He was an unexpectedly skilled swordsman.
- Impossible. - He is no ordinary masseur.
He's not a supernatural being!
How distressing our men could not even handle one blind man.
I fear this blind masseur
will spread the word about our master's condition.
If the rumor gets started
and reaches as far as Edo,
it will be the end of the House of Kuroda.
In Edo our master's condition was kept carefully hidden,
even from his own retainers.
All my efforts to conceal it will have been in vain if word gets out.
That blind masseur!
We can't let him go free. We must get rid of him tonight.
Open up!
What a lousy night!
Why are you here at this hour?
- No customers. - All three of you?
They're searching all the inns.
Searching the inns?
What a nuisance.
- What are they looking for? - I have no idea.
It's not the police carrying out the search
but the samurai staying at the inn.
They're looking for a traveling masseur about 26 or 27 years old.
Seems they intend to kill him if they find him.
Old man, please serve these ladies some sake.
It's on me.
They've provided valuable information. I would like to thank them.
Very well.
Are you--
Masseur, you shouldn't be here.
You'll be killed if they find you.
What did you do
to have so many people looking for a blind man like you?
You must have done something terrible.
They'll be coming here too. What are you going to do?
If they come, then that's that.
There's no way a blind man could outrun them even if he tried.
You're resigned to your fate.
Aren't you afraid to die?
Where are you from?
Kasama in Joshu Province.
Do you have a wife?
No woman would care to be burdened with a blind man like me.
That's not true.
My father was a masseur all his life,
yet he was married three times.
He must have reached the highest rank in his art.
He was just a traveling masseur till the day he died.
Is that so?
I envy him.
These days, an ordinary masseur doesn't attract women all that much.
If you would like,
why don't you keep me company tonight?
There you go with your eccentric taste in men.
It's not like that.
What do you say? We'll have a long talk.
You smell nice.
-Just like her. - Like who?
- Someone's coming! - It's the samurai looking for him.
The kitchen is closed already.
Come on, don't turn us away when we've just arrived.
With the women here too, we've got everything we need.
Don't worry. They're not the samurai looking for you.
Ladies, come and serve us sake.
You're the last to get customers tonight.
You know the saying: "last but not least."
She looks just like her.
Who?
She's a spitting image of Chiyo.
Who is Chiyo?
A woman he was madly in love with.
Him, madly in love?
Why don't you come over here too?
Come on.
No.
- What? - She said no. Leave her alone.
What's your name?
- Setsu. - How old are you?
Twenty-three.
I'm buying your company tonight.
- You can't. - Why not?
I'm already spoken for.
- You have a customer? - Yes.
- Where is he? - That's not your concern.
- Cancel him. - It's none of your business.
- What? - Be quiet.
Are you saying you will not serve me?
Sorry.
I see.
But I will not let you go with another man tonight.
Remember that.
- Young lady who looks like Chiyo. - You mean me?
May I touch your face?
Very well.
You do resemble her.
I too loved a woman named Chiyo.
What happened to her?
When she realized I was blind,
she ran off with another man.
What a cruel woman.
She was the love of my life.
But that other man stole her away from me.
It drove me mad.
That's why I went after him with my sword.
Will you really spend the night with me?
Certainly.
Then take me to a quiet place
where we won't be bothered by others.
All right.
Old man, here's money for my bill.
- Your change-- - Don't bother.
- Buy the ladies another round. - Thank you.
Aren't you going to do anything? He's getting away.
He's taking the woman with him too.
Who's the owner here? Have you seen a traveling masseur?
About 26 or 27 years old, with a round face.
No masseur came in here.
If any of you sees him,
notify us at our inn immediately.
You will be amply rewarded.
Yoshiro.
"Boss Kanbei's Residence"
I've come from Kashiwaya. Sorry to bother you at this late hour.
I have an urgent message for Boss Kanbei.
Please open the door.
I feel like a different person.
It was my pleasure.
I heard that after we left,
they searched all the inns again.
But this time it was Boss Kanbei's men.
Kanbei?
He's the boss in this town. They call him Kanbei of Seki.
I see.
I thought it would all be over when the lord left
with his retinue this morning, but it's not.
It's a foolish matter.
If they had just asked me not to talk, I wouldn't have said a word.
But instead they came after me with swords.
You're right.
That's why I don't like samurai.
Kanbei, thank you for waiting.
Sir, I found out who the masseur is.
I believe he is called Zatoichi.
He is indeed a masseur, but he's also in my line of business.
From what you have told me, I am positive it is him.
I see.
Now that we know who he is,
we may be able to take care of him sooner than expected.
The sooner the better.
Take these 25 gold coins for now.
Thank you very much.
After all, it's only a blind man we're dealing with.
I will not disappoint you, sir, now that I'm in charge.
But you must not breathe a word about being hired for the job
by the steward from the House of Kuroda.
It must look like you acted on your own.
The name of Kuroda must not be brought into this. Do you understand?
Perfectly.
I feel as if we're married, being here with you like this.
Here's your rice.
This is a new experience for me.
You are a strange woman.
You know I'm not too happy
just being a substitute for Chiyo.
You're not.
I've forgotten about Chiyo.
She was a heartless woman.
You mustn't dwell on her.
It appears women named Chiyo are very popular with men.
The samurai at the sake house also said
he was in love with a woman named Chiyo.
I'm glad it's not him here with me right now.
Say something.
Or do you think I should have gone with that samurai?
That's enough about him.
Where will you go now?
- To a place called Sasagawa. - Sasagawa?
I must visit theJoshoji temple.
Why don't you stay here one more day?
There can be unlucky spirits around a temple.
Zatoichi, you found a nice place to hide with your whore.
It wasn't easy finding you.
We've come to take your life. Come outside.
You want my life. Why is that?
Never mind why. Come on!
You are Kanbei's men, aren't you?
That's right.
Then you were hired for the job by the lord's samurai at the inn.
Damn you!
You were paid to kill me.
That's all right.
I'll go outside as you wish.
Ichi.
It seems you were right:
Even talking about visiting a temple can bring bad luck.
Take this.
I don't want your money.
No, listen.
Give it to the owner of this house for letting us stay.
Go and tell the others we found Zatoichi.
Wait for me!
Ichi, what makes you so brave?
You know the saying: "A blind man does not fear snakes."
They are like snakes. They will be back.
I'd better not hang around any longer.
Take the boat.
You have a boat?
Go get the boat, quickly. Understand?
Ichi.
What is it?
Nothing.
Go now.
Thank you.
"Boss Sukegoro's Residence"
Please come in.
Thank you.
Please, go on in.
Looks like the boss is not in. We'll wait for him here.
- Here you are. - Thank you.
How far is Sasagawa from Iioka?
About 1 4 miles.
- Is theJoshoji temple there? - Yes.
Yoshiro,
who is that pretty girl?
She's not bad.
The boss is back!
Welcome back.
Do we have a visitor?
Boss Kanbei is here.
He just arrived.
Is that fellow in?
Yes.
Tell him to come to my room.
Master, the boss wants to see you.
- Is he back? - He just returned.
Welcome back.
Yoshiro,
aren't you hiding something from me?
What do you mean, hiding something?
Don't feign ignorance.
You and your partner are wanted by the provincial governor.
I hear you're in the robbery business now.
You started out robbing a pawnshop in Hida.
Since then you've gone from place to place,
stealing, killing and raping.
You've turned into a horrible monster. Isn't that so?
A "wanted" poster of you
with a drawing of your face and a list of your crimes
has been posted in 14 counties.
You disguised yourself as a samurai like an actor in a cheap comedy
in an attempt to evade the police
and cover up your true identity as a gangster.
The poster makes all that clear.
So my luck ends here.
Boss Sukegoro,
you're not going to turn me in, are you?
I wouldn't do something like that.
I don't wish to appear inhospitable, but I want you to leave at once.
Thank you for letting us stay. Good-bye.
Be careful.
Send a reliable man to follow him.
Let Matsugishi know about this right away too.
I heard that Kanbei is here.
What's the matter?
- Pack your things, quickly. - Where are we going?
- We're leaving. - Why?
You said we'd be staying another four or five days.
I changed my mind.
Get ready.
I know Zatoichi.
He stayed here for about ten days.
Then maybe I shouldn't have come to you for help.
It's all right.
I have some business to settle with him myself.
But don't underestimate him just because he's blind,
or you'll be sorry.
I hear he's an awesome swordsman.
Ten regular men don't stand a chance against him.
His skill with a sword is extraordinary.
Did you know that Zatoichi is coming to Sasagawa?
Really?
He's going to visit theJoshoji temple.
He must plan to pay respects at that samurai's grave.
- Which samurai? - The one he killed.
The one called Hirate Miki who stayed with Shigezo?
Yes. Ichi has returned a year later to pay his respects.
That's what he said he would do when he left.
Returning to pay respects at the grave of the man he killed.
He is one strange bird!
Yoshiro.
- Hadn't we better say good-bye? - There's no time for that.
They're after us. We have to be on guard.
Hello.
Ichi!
It's been a while. Is everyone well?
Please wait here a moment.
Don't bother telling the boss I'm here.
I was nearby and thought it would be rude not to say hello,
so I stopped in for a moment.
You can tell your boss later.
- Please wait. - No, don't bother.
I said not to bother.
What? Ichi is here?
-Just as well. - No, don't.
I can't let you start trouble in my house.
I'll take him outside.
He's not the sort that can be handled easily.
But it's odd.
Is it possible
Ichi could be following you?
Impossible.
I wouldn't put it past him.
I'll go see him.
He's not here.
That's strange.
Do you know the time?
It's around noon.
I don't recognize your voice.
What is your name?
- My name is Kanbei. - We haven't met before, have we?
No, this is the first time.
So I don't know you.
But I've heard your name mentioned somewhere.
The boss in that town is called Kanbei.
That name sets me on edge.
Ichi, I thought you'd already left.
I stayed in this room last year,
so I have a fondness for it and just wandered in.
The boss wants to see you.
Why did you tell him I was here?
I told you to give him the message after I'd gone.
If he sees me, he will have to thank me in front of all of you.
I don't want to put him in that position.
I'd better leave before he shows up.
Kanbei.
Don't be so hasty.
We know he is going to theJoshoji temple in Sasagawa.
- He won't get away. - But I think he suspects who I am.
All the more reason not to rush things.
It's so quiet here.
Hirate Miki.
I've never known such a skilled swordsman.
We fished here together and drank sake together too.
He spoke with feeling about the fleeting nature of life.
He was truly an admirable samurai.
Yet it was I who killed him.
Until I felt the sword penetrate his body,
I never even imagined I could kill him.
For the sake of a meaningless war between gangster clans,
I lost a man it took me forever to find:
a man I could call a friend.
It has been a year since then.
And then there's Tane.
I wonder what has become of her.
She is another one I cannot forget.
I didn't fully understand
when Tane said she wanted to marry me.
It took me by surprise.
What happened with Chiyo was a shock too.
After saying she would be my wife,
she ran off with the man she despised more than anyone.
I thought my whole world had gone dark.
Of course, it ought to have gone dark:
I was already blind by then.
Stay inside!
What's the matter?
I'm tailing those two.
They're wanted for horrible crimes.
- Both of them? - That's right.
By the way, Tane, I heard you're going to marry a carpenter.
- Who told you that? - That doesn't matter. Is it true?
Never mind. Go now, or you'll lose sight of them.
I want to know whether it's true or not.
It's true.
Good for you!
We have to get out of Shimosa.
Whatever we do, we'll need money.
We can't go anywhere without money.
We're just out of luck.
Even so, we've never been this low on cash.
That dog Sukegoro
couldn't spare a penny for the road.
Let's rob a place tonight.
Fool!
Do that and you're just asking to get caught.
What are we going to do? We'll starve to death.
Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
What happened?
He followed us from Iioka.
Was this Sukegoro's doing?
It's likely our escape route is closed off.
Damn it!
Remember: There will be no gambling tonight.
If customers come, apologize and ask them to leave.
What's the matter?
We're helping the governor search for criminals.
What criminals?
The ones who have been terrorizing the neighboring counties.
There's also the matter with Zatoichi.
You mean that blind man who came through here last year?
- That's right. - What did he do?
I don't know, but we're going to kill him.
Where is Ichi?
I heard he is going to the Joshoji temple in Sasagawa.
Joshoji.
Why are they going to kill Ichi?
He was such a great help to Iioka.
Is there going to be a fight?
They're going to arrest the criminals.
Well, that's none of my concern.
My mother says Tane and I should get married this month.
What do you think? I came to talk to you about it.
Come inside.
Hello, Tane.
Tane!
This must be Yoshiro's work.
- Who are those men? - Quiet!
Ichi!
Have you come to warn me?
Yes!
Thank you.
This is Master Hirate's grave.
Young priest,
give this to the head priest later.
Tell him it's for the memorial service.
My hat.
I'll hold it for you.
Zatoichi, you won't get away this time.
We are on temple grounds. Let's not start trouble.
Let's move away from here.
There are better places for this. What do you say?
Fine with us.
Are you men of Kanbei's clan?
I am Kanbei.
So Boss Kanbei is here himself.
You've come all this way just to kill Zatoichi.
Someone must be paying you well.
Quiet!
Yoshiro, there's that masseur.
Yoshiro.
Sukegoro's coming too.
That bastard sold us out.
You'd better get out of here.
What are you talking about? I'm not leaving alone.
I'm telling you, go!
I won't. Where can I go without money?
You fool!
Kanbei!
Is there no one left?
Remember I'm blind,
so you'll have to make the first move.
Otherwise I can't tell if you're there.
Let me kill Zatoichi.
What are you saying?
Don't do it.
We don't have time for this.
You're acting crazy!
They're nearly here.
Ichi,
it's been a long time.
It has indeed.
They're coming!
We've got to get out of here!
They're almost here!
I'm leaving!
Elder brother,
do you really hate me so much?
Yes, I do!
I'm going to kill you!
You made me the cripple that I am now. You ruined my life!
- What happened to Chiyo? - She's dead.
Dead?
My brother,
first you steal Chiyo from me,
and now you want to take my life?
Quiet!
I killed her.
I killed Chiyo.
They're here.
What's wrong?
If I'm caught, I'll be put to death.
Put to death?
Brother, what did you do?
- What have you done? - Never mind!
Ichi,
finish me off!.
Yoshiro of Nagisa, you are under arrest. Don't move.
Anyone who interferes will be arrested as well.
Come on if you dare!
Search the other bank. Don't let them get away.
Master Ichi.
Is that you, young priest?
- I brought the medicine. - Thank you.
What happened to Tane?
She said she had something to do and went home.
She did?
She's going to be married.
Tane is going to be married?
So she is to be somebody's wife.
I'll treat your wound. Just a minute.
I don't know whom Tane is marrying.
But knowing her,
I'm sure he's not a gambler or some good-for-nothing lout.
I'm sure he will make her happy.
I am very happy for her.
Are they still looking for us?
It looks like they're leaving.
They've probably given up.
I'm sorry you always have to help me.
Thank you.
Brother, whenever I come to this place,
like last year and now again this year,
I get mixed up in unpleasant matters.
But I've just heard some good news.
Isn't it strange
that you and I--
Brother?
You want some water?
That tastes good.
- Ichi. - What is it?
Chiyo is still alive.
She is?
Where is she?
I don't know.
She left me when I became a cripple.
She ran away.
They caused us a lot of trouble.
But as long as Ichi is dead, that's all that counts, right?
Right.
Why did Ichi jump into the river with Yoshiro?
A blind man's spite, no doubt.
When his back is against the wall, he'll take anyone along with him.
What a despicable wretch.
It's a sad end for the awesome swordsman called Zatoichi
to foat dead in the muddy river.
Stupid bastard.
Ichi!
Sukegoro.
Zatoichi is not foating in the river.
But how could you--
The man you reported to the police, Yoshiro of Nagisa,
was my own brother.
He died this morning.
That makes two men who have died because of you.
No, that's not true! Yoshiro was--
You must die too.
Die!
THE END