ARAKI MATAEMON-DUEL AT KAGIYA NO TSUJI
(Ketto Kagiya no Tsuji Araki Mataemon)
Courtesy of Ichiban
1993 - color - Nippon TV - 92 min. - Academy Standard (4:3)
 
Starring: TAKAHASHI Hideki
NATSUYAGI Isao

Directed by: ONADA Yoshiki
The famous duel at Kagiya Corners has been portrayed many times,
but never before like this. In the ultimate film version starring Takahashi Hideki
as master swordsman Araki Mataemon, the story unfolds with some unique twists
such as Mataemon’s fear of horses, having been kicked by one as a child.
Undaunted, he must face his best friend, another superb swordsman played by
Natsuyagi Isao to clear a path for family member Watanabe Kazuma to avenge
the brutal murder of his brother. The vendetta is first denied as the Japanese law
in the 17th Century only allowed a samurai to avenge his father or older brother,
not a younger brother. The tension mounts as they must carry out the vengeance
before the murderer Kawai Matagoro reaches the safety of a direct retainer of the
shogun.