A humble and simple Takezo abandons his life as a knight errant. He's sought as a teacher and vassal by Shogun, Japan's most powerful clan leader. He's also challenged to fight by the supremely confident and skillful Sasaki Kojiro. Takezo agrees to fight Kojiro in a year's time but rejects Shogun's patronage, choosing instead to live on the edge of a village, raising vegetables. He's followed there by Otsu and later by Akemi, both in love with him. The year ends as Takezo assists the villagers against a band of brigands. He seeks Otsu's forgiveness and accepts her love, then sets off across the water to Ganryu Island for his final contest.
Toshirō Mifune
Koji Tsuruta
Kaoru Yachigusa
Mariko Okada
Kurôemon Onoe
Michiko Saga
Takashi Shimura
Minoru Chiaki
Takamaru Sasaki
Haruo Tanaka
Kichijirō Ueda
Ikio Sawamura
Nakajirō Tomita
Sonosuke Sawamura
Michiyo Kogure
Akihiko Hirata
Minosuke Yamada
Sōji Kiyokawa
Masako Sakurai
Yutaka Oka
Tominosuke Hayama
Kumeko Otowa
Yaeko Izumo
Noriko Honma
Tateo Kawasaki
Fumindo Matsuo
Ren Yamamoto
Fuminori Ōhashi
Haruko Toyama
Hideo Shibuya
Katsumi Tezuka
Keiichirō Katsumoto
Shirō Tsuchiya
Masao Masuda
Yu Agetsu
Senkichi Ōmura
Shōichi Hirose
Kenjin Iida
Mitsuko Mito
Sachio Sakai
Eijirō Tōno
Kokuten Kōdō
Haruo Nakajima
Etsuo Saijo
Daisuke Katō