Nomadic blind assassin Zatoichi travels around Japan, encountering gangs, gambling, and alcohol. When he gets caught up in a Yakuza power struggle, he's forced to take on the gangsters. ZATOICHI - THE BLIND SWORDSMAN is a classic samurai epic that tells of a man desperately struggling to adhere to the strict code of the samurai. Shot in totally natural lighting, the film featured the talents of Shintaro Katsu as director, writer, and actor in his 26th and final outing as Zatoichi.