Toshiyuki Hosokawa

Joe, one of the top ranked boxers in the world, no longer has the yearning or desire to enter the ring again after killing his previous opponent by landing a wicked left jab to his temple. His confidence and competitive spirit is restored when he decides to overcome his fear by facing the uncrowned king from Venezuela, Carlos Rivera.

Zatoichi arrives in a town where a gambling house is kidnapping its poor, debt-ridden patrons. A rival establishment moves to pay those debts and free the peasants, but this second house’s seemingly altruistic boss is actually laying the groundwork for a ruthless money-grabbing scheme. The sixteenth Zatoichi film is the first effort from its star’s own Katsu Productions, and it is one of the series’ most daring, with its complex characters, subversive social themes, and moral outrage.

Once again on the lam, Matsu is helped by a strip club worker who holds a grudge against the detective who's trying to find her.