Eureka Entertainment will release Zen & Sword: The Miyamoto Musashi Saga At Toei, a five-film chronicle that captures the rise and legacy of Japan’s legendary swordsman.
Newly restored in 4K by Toei, the films will make their worldwide Blu-ray debut – and their first-ever UK appearance in any format — as part of the Masters of Cinema Series on February 23rd.
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A swordsman, writer and artist who lived between 1584 and 1645, Miyamoto Musashi is a near-mythic figure in Japanese history and an icon of Japanese popular culture.
In the early 1960s, Toei launched into an entire series focused on the legendary samurai – a five-part saga adapted from the works of Eiji Yoshikawa and completed under the direction of Tomu Uchida between 1961 and 1965.
Miyamoto Musashi charts the origins of the eponymous swordsman (Kinnosuke Nakamura) following his participation in the Battle of Sekigahara and traces his path towards the way of the samurai.
In Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights, Musashi emerges from a period of learning and contemplation, soon coming into conflict with a rogue group of ronin.
Then, in Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style, the samurai develops his personal style of swordsmanship and first encounters Kojiro Sasaki (Ken Takakura), who will become his arch-rival.
His feud with Sasaki intensifies in Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji and Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island, ultimately leading to an epic final battle.