Synopsis
新座頭市物語・笠間の血祭り
Zatoichi, the famed blind swordsman, returns to his home village for the first time in many years. He is befriended by Omiyo, who had the same wet-nurse as Zatoichi. He also encounters a boyhood friend, Shinbei, who now is wealthy and appears not to remember Zatoichi. Shinbei seems to be interested in repaying the villagers' debts, but is in reality manipulating the ownership of a now-valuable rock quarry. Zatoichi learns of the subterfuge and confronts his old friend, who has a score of yakuza swordsmen backing his play.
The 1972–1974 Japan Window
69 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Zatoichi's Conspiracy sits at position #33.
#1Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
★ 8.5 · 1972
#2Great Mazinger
★ 8.1 · 1974
#3Mazinger Z
★ 7.9 · 1972
#4The Last Samurai
★ 7.8 · 1974
#5Lady Snowblood
★ 7.6 · 1973
#6Pastoral: To Die in the Country
★ 7.6 · 1974
#7Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance
★ 7.5 · 1972
#8Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
★ 7.5 · 1972
Titles With Overlapping Themes
Films and series that share thematic tags with Zatoichi's Conspiracy. Number on each card indicates how many keywords overlap.
4 sharedZatoichi and the Chest of Gold
★ 6.7 · Japan
4 sharedFight, Zatoichi, Fight
★ 6.8 · Japan
3 sharedZatoichi and the Doomed Man
★ 6.8 · Japan
3 sharedZatoichi's Revenge
★ 6.5 · Japan
2 sharedZatoichi: Darkness Is His Ally
★ 6.4 · Japan
2 sharedThe Tale of Zatoichi Continues
★ 6.9 · Japan
Other Titles From TOHO
The 1970s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1970s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Zatoichi's Conspiracy premiered. 197 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #2,811 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (39th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.2 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Action productions specifically: #1,115 of 1,714 (top 65%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | TOHO, Katsu Production |
| Runtime | 1h 28m |
| Release Date | April 21, 1973 |
| IMDb | tt0072439 |