With 25 film sequels and upwards of 100 TV episodes, Shintaro Katsu is the legendary Zatoichi! He’s a low-ranking blind masseur who lives by the Yakuza code and answers his foes with a deadly cane sword. By far one of Japan’s most time-honored screen personas, Zatoichi is to this day the ultimate everyman anti-hero. Zatoichi and the Chess Expert is a visual feast of swordplay and relentless action. The blind swordsman befriends a wandering, chess-loving, battle-thirsty samurai and helps a young girl who has been accidentally wounded in a brutal sword fight. This spectacular film, photographed in gorgeous color and directed by samurai specialist Kenji Misumi, shows Zatoichi at his best: battling rival yakuza and angry relatives seeking retribution.