Zen and Sword - The Miyamoto Musashui Saga At Toei Limited Edition Blu-Ray

A swordsman, writer and artist who lived between 1584 and 1645, Miyamoto Musashi is a near-mythic figure in Japanese history and an enduring icon of Japanese popular culture. The first film based on his life appeared during the silent era, followed by dozens more over the following decades. In the early 1960s, Toei launched a five-part cinematic saga dedicated to the legendary samurai, adapted from the works of Eiji Yoshikawa and directed by Tomu Uchida between 1961 and 1965.

Miyamoto Musashi follows the origins of the famed swordsman (Kinnosuke Nakamura) after his participation in the Battle of Sekigahara, charting his path toward the way of the samurai. In Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights, Musashi emerges from a period of reflection only to clash with a band of rogue ronin. The story continues in Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Two Sword Style, where Musashi develops his distinctive sword technique and first encounters Kojiro Sasaki (Ken Takakura), the rival who will define his destiny.

The feud intensifies across Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji and Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island, culminating in one of the great rivalries of samurai cinema and an unforgettable final battle.

Featuring two giants of Japanese film in Kinnosuke Nakamura and Ken Takakura, Toei’s Miyamoto Musashi series stands alongside the Zatoichi films as one of the great samurai sagas of the 1960s. The Masters of Cinema Series proudly presents all five films on Blu-ray, newly restored in 4K by Toei.

Special Features

Limited Collector’s Edition Box Set (2000 copies)

• Limited edition hardbound slipcase featuring new artwork by John Dunn

• • Translated writing by Miyamoto Musashi

  • Notes on each film in Toei’s Musashi series by Japanese cinema expert Joe Hickinbottom

  • A new essay on the films’ stars by Jennifer Coates, author of Film Viewing in Postwar Japan, 1945–1968

    Limited edition 100-page collector’s book featuring:

    
    

     

Disc Features

• 1080p HD presentations on Blu-ray from new 4K restorations by Toei

• Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release

Audio Commentaries

• New audio commentary on Miyamoto Musashi by Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Wroot

• New audio commentary on Miyamoto Musashi II: Showdown at Hannyazaka Heights by critic and Japanese cinema specialist Jasper Sharp

Additional Features

• Live by the Sword – video essay on Miyamoto Musashi in history and popular culture by Jonathan Clements (A Brief History of Japan)

• A Legendary Swordsman – appreciation of Toei’s Miyamoto Musashi saga by film critic Tony Rayns

• On Otsu and Other Women – interview with Japanese cinema scholar Jennifer Coates on female representation in the series

• Original trailers