After years on the road establishing his reputation as Japan's greatest fencer, Takezo returns to Kyoto. Otsu waits for him, yet he has come not for her but to challenge the leader of the region's finest school of fencing. To prove his valor and skill, he walks deliberately into ambushes set up by the school's followers. While Otsu waits, Akemi also seeks him, expressing her desires directly. Meanwhile, Takezo is observed by Sasaki Kojiro, a brilliant young fighter, confident he can dethrone Takezo. After leaving Kyoto in triumph, Takezo declares his love for Otsu, but in a way that dishonors her and shames him. Once again, he leaves alone.
Toshirō Mifune
Koji Tsuruta
Kaoru Yachigusa
Mariko Okada
Michiyo Kogure
Akihiko Hirata
Mitsuko Mito
Kurôemon Onoe
Sachio Sakai
Yū Fujiki
Machiko Kitagawa
Eiko Miyoshi
Eijirō Tōno
Kenjin Iida
Ko Mihashi
Yoshifumi Tajima
Keiko Kondo
Hisako Takihana
Ren Yamamoto
Ryū Kuze
Torahiko Hamada
Yoshio Inaba
Fumindo Matsuo
Minoru Itō
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Ren Imaizumi
Rinsaku Ogata
Kenzō Tabu
Kokuten Kōdō
Daisuke Katō