Casts & Crew
Also Directed by Katsuhiko Tasaka
Kaidan directed by Katsuhiko Tasaka.
It is brother against brother in this tale of love and betrayal within the famed Yagyu clan. In one of their earliest films together, superstars Ichikawa Raizo and Katsu Shintaro are magnificent as the two finest young swordsmen in the clan. As they vie for the hand of a beautiful woman their loyalty comes into question during an attack on their lord. When one of them masters the secret technique taught to him by Miyamoto Musashi, it leads to bloody violence that can tear the clan apart! Filled with superb swordplay this rare classic is not to be missed!
Protecting the peace of the Edo Period is the fictitious but cool plainclothes detective they call Boss Heiji, Zenigata Heiji. A friend of the people, he hates corruption and will not take any kind of bribe, which means he lives in total poverty and sometimes it takes two months just to come up with the rent. The ones there to help Heiji are his old, but comical friend, Hachigoro and his beloved wife, O-Shizu. O-Shizu, who always sends Heiji off after a "kiribi" (good-luck purification), is the one supporting Heiji and his heart... it is for O-Shizu's sake that he's tried to hold back on his "coin tossing" and be thrifty.
The Great White Tiger Platoon was part of the Aizu clan's last ditch efforts to stop the advance of Imperial troops after the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Meant to be a reserve unit as it was made of the young, 16-17 year old sons of Aizu samurai. Their story is one of the great tragedies of the Boshin War (1868-1869) as they were called into action. Getting cut off from the main body of their platoon, a group of 20 from the 2nd squad retreated to Iimori Hill, where they looked down upon fires surrounding Aizu Castle and thinking that the castle has fallen and all is lost, they choose to die as samurai by committing seppuku. A superb rendition of this true story that shows the true honor of the samurai.
The story of Sasaki Kojiro, a young swordsman, and his quest to train under master Seigen and develop his own style.
