Zatoichi
座頭市
“His sword made him a hero... his courage made him a legend.”
Synopsis
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Zatōichi (2003) Original Trailer [FHD]
Type: Trailer • Published 2024-05-15
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Takeshi Kitano
Zatoichi / Ichi
Tadanobu Asano
Hattori Genosuke
Michiyo Yasuda
Tante Oume
Yui Natsukawa
Oshino
Guadalcanal Taka
Shinkichi
Daigorô Tachibana
Geisha Seitaro O-Sei Naruto
Yuko Daike
Geisha Okinu Naruto
Ittoku Kishibe
Boss Inosuke Ginzo
Saburo Ishikura
Ogi
Akira Emoto
Pub Owner
HideboH
Dancing Farmer
Ron II
Dancing Farmer
Suji
Dancing Farmer
Makoto Ashikawa
Carpenter
Tsumami Edamame
Carpenter
Kôsuke Ôta
Carpenter
Yoshiyuki Morishita
Carpenter
Naomasa Musaka
Yakuza Boss on the Country Road
Release History & Theatrical Window
Eiga-Sai Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
January 16, 2004
Wide Cinema Exhibition
July 26, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$2.5M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$34.2M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
13.68x
+$31.7M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Takeshi Kitano
- Screenplay & Story
- Takeshi Kitano
- Original Score
- Keiichi Suzuki
- Original Title
- 座頭市
- Country of Origin
- Japan
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Production Budget
- $2.5M
- Worldwide Gross
- $34.2M
- Production Studios
- Office Kitano, Saito Entertainment, Tokyo FM, Bandai Visual, dentsu, Shochiku
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano, Kan Shimozawa
Keiichi Suzuki
Katsumi Yanagijima
Takeshi Kitano, Yoshinori Ota
Tsunehisa Saitô, Masayuki Mori, Takio Yoshida
Department Leadership Roster
Norihiro Isoda
Production Design
Tsunehisa Saitô
Producer
Keiichi Suzuki
Original Music Composer
Takeshi Kitano
Editor
Katsumi Yanagijima
Director of Photography
Yoshinori Ota
Editor
Takeshi Kitano
Screenplay
Takeshi Kitano
Director
Masayuki Mori
Producer
Kazuko Kurosawa
Costume Design
Takio Yoshida
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Zatoichi.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Zatoichi.
My Collection
Asian Cinema
Auto-generated by festival-lists — do not edit by hand.
多伦多电影节人民选择奖
Toronto Film Festival Audience Award 多伦多国际电影节历届人民选择奖（观众票选最高奖）。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:43:39 UTC+8)*
Gangster
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
vison of mind
Imported from MUBI list: https://mubi.com/en/lists/vison-of-mind
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Frequently Asked Questions About Zatoichi
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Zatoichi about?
Blind traveler Zatoichi is a master swordsman and a masseur with a fondness for gambling on dice games. When he arrives in a village torn apart by warring gangs, he sets out to protect the townspeople.
Who directed Zatoichi?
Zatoichi was directed by Takeshi Kitano.
Who stars in Zatoichi?
The principal cast of Zatoichi includes Takeshi Kitano, Tadanobu Asano, Michiyo Yasuda, Yui Natsukawa, Guadalcanal Taka.
When was Zatoichi released and how long is it?
Zatoichi was released in 2003 with a total runtime of 1h 56m.
What was the box office and production budget of Zatoichi?
Zatoichi had a reported production budget of $2.5M and grossed $34.2M at the worldwide box office (13.68 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Zatoichi?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Zatoichi was composed by Keiichi Suzuki.
Is Zatoichi based on a book or true story?
Zatoichi is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Kan Shimozawa".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Zatoichi?
Zatoichi holds official age classifications: AU: MA 15+; DE: 16 (FSK 16 — Restricted to viewers aged 16 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: 18 (Suitable only for adults 18 years and over.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).