The Invisible Swordsman Blu-ray brings a long-lost fantasy adventure from Daiei Kyoto to audiences outside Japan for the very first time. Blending supernatural folklore, period swordplay, and playful heroism, this 1970 classic sits alongside the studio’s beloved Zatoichi, Daimajin, and Yokai Monsters films while carving out a distinctive identity of its own.
 
Set in Edo-era Japan, the story follows Sanshiro, a timid and clumsy swordsman who struggles to live up to his samurai heritage. When his father is murdered by a mysterious band of phantom thieves, Sanshiro is drawn to the banks of the Sanzu River, the boundary between the living world and the dead. There, he encounters a strange spirit known as a Shokera, who offers him a chance at vengeance through a magical potion that grants invisibility. To use this power, Sanshiro must gather rare ingredients and confront enemies who may be far closer than he realizes.
 
Directed by Yoshiyuki Kuroda and beautifully shot by Hiroshi Imai, The Invisible Swordsman showcases Daiei’s meticulous attention to historical detail, costume design, and choreography, while injecting the genre with whimsical fantasy and eerie supernatural imagery. This limited edition Blu-ray presents the film in a brand new high-definition transfer, accompanied by newly produced bonus features that explore its place within Japanese genre cinema.
 
directed by: Yoshiyuki Kuroda
starring: Hachirō Oka, Yasushi Yokoyama, Kiyoshi Nishikawa
1970 / 78 min