Directed by:
Yōji YamadaComposer:
Isao TomitaCast:
Takuya Kimura, Mayumi Yamazaki, Mitsugorô Bandô, Kaori Momoi, Nenji Kobayashi, Ken Ogata, Takashi Sasano, Robert McCollum, Yasuo Daichi, Toshiki Ayata, 左時枝 (more)Plots(1)
Shinnojo, a low level samurai, lives with his pretty, dutiful and loyal wife Kayo. He has come to find his position in a castle as a food-taster for a feudal lord to be boring and pointless, and talks about opening a kendo school open to boys of all castes where he can teach the use of the sword. Before he can act on his dream he becomes ill with a fever after tasting some sashimi made from shell fish, but an investigation reveals that the poisoning was not due to a human conspiracy, but a poor choice of food out of season. After three days he awakes but finds that the toxin from the food has blinded him. Kayo is summoned by Shinnojo's family to explain how the couple will survive. His uncle laments that he no longer knows anybody with influence in the castle, and asks Kayo if she knows of anybody. She relates how Toya Shimada, the chief duty officer in the castle and a samurai of high rank, offered to help and they tell her to act upon his offer of assistance. A message from the castle brings the good news that Shinnojo's stipend of rice will remain the same, and for life but his aunt tells him that Kayo was seen with another man. He has Tokuhei, his faithful servant, follow her. Kayo notices that she is being followed, and although Tokuhei offers to cover for her, she reveals to Shinnojo that Shimada offered to help but with a price, shown when he forced himself upon her. He then solicited three additional trysts by threatening to tell Shinnojo about the first. An enraged Shinnojo divorces her and orders her out of his house. When it is revealed to him that Shimada had nothing to do with maintaining his stipend, but that it came out of gratitude from the lord of the clan himself, Shinnojo seeks to renew his skill with the sword as a blind man to avenge the dishonor of Kayo. Through Tokuhei, he sends a message to Shimada to set up a duel, with the additional message to not underestimate him. The two samurai meet at the stables near the river to decide their destinies. In the subsequent fight Shinnojo cuts off Shimada's arm. He leaves Shimada to live a horribly disfigured life, telling Tokuhei that he has now avenged Kayo's dishonor. The next day Shinnojo is informed that the injured Shimada refused to tell anyone what had happened or who injured him in the duel. That night Shimada committed seppuku and killed himself, as a samurai cannot live with only one arm. He dies without anyone knowing of his sin against the Mimura family, his violation of Kayo, or his own dishonorable injury by a blinded man. Tokuhei tells Shinnojo he has found a girl to work in the kitchen and cook for him. After one taste of the girl's food, Shinnojo recognizes his wife's cooking, and calls Kayo to come into the house. Shinnojo and Kayo reconcile, with an understanding that they will begin their life together anew. (Eleven Arts)
(more)Cast
![Takuya Kimura](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/164/924/164924217_cb1895.jpg)
Takuya Kimura
Japan
Best movies:
Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
Love and Honor (2006)
Redline (2009)
![Mayumi Yamazaki](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/168/637/168637540_ihrfbz.jpg)
Mayumi Yamazaki
Japan
Best movies:
Our Mother (2008)
Love and Honor (2006)
Your Lie in April (2016)
Mitsugorô Bandô
Japan
Best movies:
Our Mother (2008)
The Lightning Tree (2010)
Love and Honor (2006)
![Kaori Momoi](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/000/274/274774_97fcd1.jpg)
Kaori Momoi
Japan
Best movies:
Kagemusha (1980)
The Yellow Handkerchief (1977)
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald (1997)
Nenji Kobayashi
Japan
Best movies:
The Twilight Samurai (2002)
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Ballad of Narayama (1983)
![Ken Ogata](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/000/407/407738_427001.jpg)
Ken Ogata
Japan
Best movies:
Shintaro Katsu's Zatoichi (1989)
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Ballad of Narayama (1983)
![Takashi Sasano](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/168/085/168085731_bv9gah.jpg)
Takashi Sasano
Japan
Best movies:
Departures (2008)
Our Mother (2008)
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Robert McCollum
Best movies:
Trigun: Badlands Rumble (2010)
Love and Honor (2006)
Vexille (2007)
![Yasuo Daichi](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/159/671/159671501_838c2b.jpg)
Yasuo Daichi
Japan
Best movies:
Love and Honor (2006)
Survival Family (2017)
A Taxing Woman (1987)
![Toshiki Ayata](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/166/851/166851305_2cad1a.jpg)
Toshiki Ayata
Japan
Best movies:
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Love and Honor (2006)
Be Sure to Share (2009)
左時枝
Japan
Best movies:
Our Mother (2008)
Love Letter (1995)
Love and Honor (2006)
![Koen Kondo](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w88h116crop/files/images/creator/photos/166/379/166379994_034dab.jpg)
Koen Kondo
Japan
Best movies:
Our Mother (2008)
The Hidden Blade (2004)
Tokyo Family (2013)