Zatoichi on the Road

Ichi is escorted to the town of Doyama with all expenses paid by an employee of Hikozo, on the promise of simply meeting him. There is no obligation placed on Ichi beyond meeting the boss, setting up a tense, uncertain start to the journey. The arrangement signals that larger forces are at play behind Ichi's every move.

Rivals of Hikozo overhear Ichi and his guide at a tea house and launch an ambush. The guide is killed during the attack, and Ichi fights back with lethal efficiency. The brutality foreshadows the dangerous games surrounding Mitsu and her fate.

Ichi finishes off the assailants, including the husband of Hisa, who watches the short fight. His swift, decisive violence reinforces his reputation as a formidable swordsman. After the skirmish, Ichi and Hisa part on cool, wary terms.

That night, a group of samurai are hunting a girl named Mitsu. They depart, and Ichi learns the mortally wounded man wants him to protect Mitsu and escort her to Edo. This marks the official turn toward Mitsu’s protected journey.

During their travels, Mitsu is found hiding in a shed. Ichi fights off two intruders who come to seize her, and one attacker escapes. The moment cements Ichi’s role as Mitsu’s shield against a widening danger.

Mitsu confesses that she is hunted because she stabbed a local lord in the face with her hairpin when he tried to violate her. The confession heightens the peril surrounding her and deepens Ichi’s sense of responsibility. They press onward toward Edo with renewed urgency.

The group reaches an inn where Hisa is staying with Jingoro. Ichi, short on cash, offers a massage to earn money for lodging, and Jingoro seems to use the moment to gauge Mitsu’s importance. Hisa leaves Mitsu with Ichi after a tense exchange.

During the massage sequence, Ichi’s sincerity is tested as distrust arises, and Mitsu briefly leaves with Hisa. After a confrontation and a display of swordskill, Mitsu is returned to Ichi, and he chastises her for doubting him. The incident deepens their uneasy bond.

The next day, the group is ambushed by three samurai who push for Mitsu. Ichi dispatches them with lethal precision, and Mitsu expresses gratitude for the hardship she’s endured. The moment reinforces Ichi’s protective role.

In the next town, Mitsu asks Ichi to accompany her to meet her family in Edo. Ichi’s reluctance softens as she persuades him with a blend of hope and affection. He finally concedes that he will visit, signaling a potential respite from danger.

Ichi arrives at Hikozo's house and is propositioned with a large sum of money to join the coming fight. Hikozo offers 20 gold ryo, which Ichi accepts because of the stature of the enemies they’ll face. The payment marks Ichi’s formal entry into the power struggle.

Hisa and Jingoro ambush Mitsu on the road and drag her to Boss Tobei Shimozuma. They intend to use Mitsu to manipulate Ichi and tilt the fight in their favor. The trap tightens as Mitsu becomes central to the political game.

Tobei lets Mitsu call out and orders Ichi out of the fight, even offering to return Ichi’s money and forge a simple alliance. Ichi agrees to the setup and decides to take on the other two bosses for revenge. This moment marks the strategic shift toward a multi-faction confrontation.

Ichi initiates a devastating assault, isolating Tobei with Hikozo and Tomegoro and killing all three. The other men flee in panic, while Mitsu remains unharmed. Ichi then turns away, leaving a trail of defeated foes and a wary peace in the street.

Tobei’s men arrive with Jingoro, who is now targeted by Ichi. He rejects the coercion, pays Matsu to take Mitsu to the ferry, and almost returns the kerchief he gave earlier. He ultimately kills Jingoro and any man who approaches, ending the immediate threat.

Matsu realizes Mitsu is the girl Ichi spoke of protecting. Ichi signals that he will not stay with them by giving money to Matsu, then walks away alone along the road. The film closes on a solitary note, with Ichi continuing his wanderer’s path.