Zatoichi
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Zatoichi is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The character, a blind masseur and swordmaster, was created by novelist Kan Shimozawa. This originally minor character was developed for the screen by Daiei Studios and actor Shintaro Katsu, who created the screen version. A total of 26 films were made from 1962 to 1989. From 1972 to 1974, a television series of the same name was made. One hundred and twelve episodes were aired before the "Zatoichi" television series was cancelled.
Film number 17 of the original series was remade in America in 1990 (by TriStar Pictures) as Blind Fury, an action movie starring Rutger Hauer.
More recently, Takeshi Kitano directed and starred in a 2003 Zatoichi movie. Sho Aikawa also starred in a stage version of Zatoichi, directed by Takashi Miike.