Tenchu! (人斬り)

SHOCHIKU FILMS, LTD

KATSU PRODUCTIONS FUJI TELECASTING COMPANY

Tosa Country - 1862 Tanizato Village

Buy my armor.

Not interested.

How about this much?

It's worthless.

Sensei...

...please help me.

I'm deeply in debt!

Creditors are hounding me!

I have to sell my land and my samurai birthright!

It's the end!

My troubles weigh down on me like a coffin on my head!

And these damn Tosa Loyalists sitting on their butts!

I want action! Action!

Amano must have missed you.

Master Takechi sent him to find you.

He sent for me?

It's finally begun.

Today we rise to kill Yoshida Toyo.

Yoshida Toyo?

The oppressor who rules this land, Yoshida Toyo.

Nasu, Yasuoka and Oishi will kill him tonight.

Go and watch how they do it.

Sensei...

I'm glad we're finally taking action, but how...?

Your swordsmanship is in need of discipline.

You fight like a wild animal.

But you've never killed before tonight.

Tonight, you just watch.

But you watch closely

Open your eyes wide

and learn how to kill a man.

Watch and learn.

Toyo Yoshida! Tenchu!

Tenchu!

Tenchu!

Tenchu?

Tenchu! Say it again... Tenchu!

'Heaven's Punishment'! Tenchu!

Damn, I could do better than that!

I could kill.

I could kill.

Just give me a chance. I'll kill.

TENCHU

Produced by GOSHA & KATSU

Screenplay by HASHIMOTO SHINOBU

Photography by MORITA FUJIO

Art Direction by NISHIOKA YOSHINOBU

Music by SATO MASARU

Starring

KATSU SHINTARO - Okada Izo -

NAKADAl TATSUYA - Takechi Hanpei -

MISHIMA YUKIO - Tanaka Shinbei -

SHINJO TAKUMl

BAISHO MITSUKO

ISHIHARA YUJIRO - Sakamoto Ryoma -

NAKAYA NOBURO

Directed by HIDEO GOSHA

Kyoto, summer, same year.

Here they come!

Here come the Tosa Samurai.

Takechi Hanpei is walking in front

He looks great

Like a fierce dragon.

It is said that they assassinated Yoshida Toyo. And joined the loyalists.

They made a big impression in Kyoto.

They did a lot in only 2 months.

That's Okada.

Okada Izo?

He looks so proud.

He is said to be as strong as Tanaka Shinbei.

What a long sword!

It looks like scales! Only the weights are missing.

He looks confident. How many did he kill?

He's killed many.

He's killed Shimada, Murayama, Kagawa, Bunkichi...

Seven or eight, at least.

Tanaka Shinbei may be a better swordsman,

but Izo gets all the attention.

This is Izo

He looks like a wolf.

From Kyoto it's a hard journey to Ishibe.

So our best assistants will leave

the night before.

There are at least ten inns in Ishibe.

We need to know which ones they're in.

We'll know that by nightfall

How many are they?

There are three Kyoto Magistrates,

Watanabe Genzaburo, Mori, Ogawara...

...plus their retainers.

They will be 17 or 18 altogether.

Who will meet out Heaven's Punishment.

We can send Okada Izo of Tosa.

Right. But we, the Satsuma, must share the glory.

What about Tanaka Shinbei of the Satsuma?

In Shoshu, we have no great killer.

If we're meeting in Kyoto

it was to organize the attack in Ishibe

and we had another matter to tend.

Yes, Honma of Echigo.

He's just a lone wolf. No problem.

Tosa's Okada Izo will handle it.

I'm Takechi Hanpei of Tosa.

Can I speak to you all today...

...regarding Honma of Echigo?

He was one of the few Loyalists from that province.

before anyone else.

He was our friend. A true pioneer.

But now...

we have come to doubt his intentions

He keeps company with aristocrats.

He spends lots of money.

He makes grand speeches, but wastes money on prostitutes.

He's become a disgrace to the Loyalist's cause.

Aren't you friends with Tanaka Shinbei?

Yeah, he's a good guy.

Why do you want him here?

It would be great publicity.

Publicity?

Tanaka Shinbei is the most famous man in Kyoto...

...The next most famous man is - Otaki!

You mean...

Shinbei is more famous than me?

What are you talking about?

You and Shinbei are equal.

You're both champions.

Kawama from Higo is famous, too.

But he hasn't killed as many as you have.

Just by sitting here you attract customers.

Fine, I'll bring him by one of these days.

Here we are!

Minagawa-san!

Do sit down.

Honma's been found.

Care for a drink?

No thanks.

You're too nervous to kill anybody.

Two champions...

Otaki!

Put this on my tab.

Right, I'll charge it to your clan.

Honma, Tenchu! Punishment!

Sakamoto?

We're mistaken!

Honma isn't here! He's in town!

Sorry, gotta go!

Honma of Echigo?

Okada Izo of Tosa?

Draw your sword.

Go down like a man.

Why do you want to kill me?

Did Takechi Hanpei order this?

Tenchu!

I thought I hit something hard. Nicked the blade.

Nicked the blade?

You did so well in such a narrow alley.

Okada-san, teach me

how to kill men like that.

It's 'Heaven's Punishment'.

Tenchu?

Yeah, Tenchu.

There's no other knack to it. Tenchu.

Thank you very much.

Look.

Nicked the blade, eh?

What's wrong?

I have to send my sword to the polisher.

I borrowed Master Takechi's.

You have to use another man's sword, huh?

A couple of suspicious Tosa samurai just showed up.

Who?

Inspectors Inishe and Iwasaki.

They were asking about Yoshida Toyo's death...

Their chief won't rest until he finds out who killed him.

He's got a hunch,

but can't prove anything.

Now those two are sniffing around.

Those two are undesirable persons for us.

But, your sword is at the polisher's.

Takechi decides. He doesn't!

Undesirable persons! Gimme a break!

Why not just ask me to kill him?

Idiot!

Without me

the Tosa Loyalists would be nothing!

Matsuda...

It's no use talking.

Try and convince Takeshi.

You're his adviser, aren't you? - Convince him of what?

You know what.

We keep going over the same subject.

Why are you making Izo

such a cold-blooded killer.

I understand your position.

In Tosa, the Satsuma Clan joined the Loyalists after Satsuma and Choshu

To prove your loyalty,

you allied with Anjoku, the fiercest of all the aristocrats.