Zatoichi the Outlaw

Peasants try to create a utopian, agrarian culture (singing songs of "no drinking and no gambling, no fighting and whoring!") against the aims of a group of yakuza gangsters who want them to fail in order to drive up the profits at their dens of vice. The peasants are supported by an honorable samurai lord who wants to see them succeed, and by Asagoro, a wandering samurai like Zatoichi who believes in their dream. Zatoichi takes sides, and with his flashing cane sword sets up Asagoro as the new village leader. Content with his actions, Zatoichi wanders off to his next adventure, but has reason to regret as he finds that Asagoro played him for a pawn, and all is not what it seems. An  Animeigo release of the 1967 color film.