| Zatoichi 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 great popularity of the character | | | | The name Shikomizue is actually the name of |
| has been likened to that of James Bond in | | | | a type of mounting, the sword blade was |
| Western countries. Yet, Zatoichi has become | | | | placed in a cane-like mounting (tsue), to |
| commonly associated with one actor: Shintaro | | | | conceal the fact that it was a sword. This |
| Katsu. The only other actor to portray | | | | cheat was used almost exclusively during the |
| Zatoichi in the movies is Takeshi Kitano, | | | | Meiji period, when carrying of swords wasn't |
| after a pause of almost 15 years. | | | | allowed. The blades used in these mountings |
| | | | were usually of poor quality. |
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| Zatoichi seems to be just a harmless blind | | | | |
| masseur who rambles around Japan getting a | | | | This type of trick was most often used at |
| living by gaming. But he is also extremely | | | | the time when samurais who disagree with the |
| skilful in swordsmanship (iaijutsu), his | | | | prohibition on carrying their swords in an |
| blade concealed inside his cane. Cane swords, | | | | open manner but knew that obvious violation |
| or shikomizue, were straight, lower-quality | | | | of the law usually led to incarceration and |
| weapons, which stood no comparison with usual | | | | miserable death. |
| katanas, but as revealed in Zatoichi's Cane | | | | |
| Sword, his weapon was created very | | | | |
| meticulously by a master swordsmith. A | | | | |
| recurring theme of both the movies and | | | | It is the sword used by the fictional |
| television series show Zatoichi protecting | | | | character Zatoichi, a blind masseur. It has |
| the villagers from cruel warring clans | | | | also appeared a few times in the anime and |
| fighting for overlordship and general | | | | manga series Rurouni Kenshin. In another |
| injustice. | | | | anime series, Bleach, Kisuke Urahara's |
| | | | zanpakutou is a shikomizue, when not in |
| | | | shikai form. |
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| The Shikomizue (Japanese prepared cane) is a | | | | James Peterson is a true swords lover. To |
| Japanese hidden sword looking like a cane or | | | | read more articles about swords and swords |
| walking stick. It was sometimes worn by | | | | history visit the Swords blog - |
| government officials in Japan in the Meiji | | | | Sharpblades.net. |
| period. | | | | |