Zatoichi

Zatoichi (座頭市 Zatōichi) is a fictional character featured in one of Japan's longest running series of films and a television series set in the Edo period. The enduring popularity of the character has been likened to that of James Bond in Western countries. However, Zatoichi has become almost synonymous with one actor: Shintaro Katsu. The only other actor to portray Zatoichi on film is Takeshi Kitano, after a hiatus of almost 15 years.

The television series

The television series of Zatoichi ran for four seasons, with Shintaro Katsu in the lead role:

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• 26 episodes, in 1974
• 29 episodes, in 1976
• 19 episodes, in 1978
• 26 episodes, in 1979

See also: List of Zatoichi episodes

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