Zatoichi's Pilgrimage

Zatoichi's Pilgrimage (座頭市海を渡る) is a 1966 Japanese chambara film directed by Kazuo Ikehiro and starring Shintaro Katsu as the blind masseur Zatoichi. It was originally released by the Daiei Motion Picture Company (later acquired by Kadokawa Pictures).

Zatoichi's Pilgrimage is the fourteenth episode in the 26-part film series devoted to the character of Zatoichi. It has also been known as Zatoichi's Ocean Voyage

Plot
Seeking to atone for his violent past, Zatoichi (Katsu) embarks on a pilgrimage to visit the 88 Temples on Shikoku. On the road, a man (Igawa) attacks Zatoichi but is killed by him. Zatoichi follows the man's horse back to his home.

Cast

 * Shintaro Katsu as Zatoichi
 * Michiyo Okusu as Okichi
 * Isao Yamagata as Boss Tohachi
 * Hisashi Igawa as Eigoro
 * Masao Mishima as Gonbei
 * Kunie Tanaka as storyteller

Production

 * Yoshinobu Nishioka – Art director

Critical response
Thomas Raven, in a review for freakengine, wrote that "[t]his film represents another major step forward for the series. Director Kazuo Ikehiro's touch is exactly what Ichi's stories need and since this was his third Zatoichi picture, he'd honed his skills to a fine point. It certainly helps that the script is so crisp, as is the inventive cinematography and art direction. This is certainly one of the best looking of the first fourteen films."