Original subtitles

The Daiei Company Presents:

Nemuri Kyoshiro: Joyoken Nemuri Kyoshiro: She-Devil Slaying Sword Sleepy Eyes of Death: Sword of Seduction

Based on the Novel by Shibata Renzaburo

Photography: Art Direction: Fight Choreography: Takemura Yasukazu Nishioka Yoshinobu Mitauchi Shouhei

Editing: Asst. Director: Sound Effects: Taniguchi Toshio Endou Rikio Kurashima You

Starring:

Ichikawa Raizo as Nemuri Kyoshiro

Fujimura Kubo Joh Shiho Naoko Kenzaburou

Kobayashi Negishi Ai Nakaya Katsuhiko Akemi Michiko Ichirou

Inaba Asano Sugiyama Hamamura Yoshio Shinjirou Shousaku Jun

Terajima Hamada Etsukawa Fujikawa Jun Yuusaku Yuuji Hajime

Tomura Kuu Takamori Varga Masako Baichuu Chizuko Rasmussen

Directed by lkehiro Kazuo

Firewarden... Firewarden coming through...

Firewarden... Firewarden coming through...

Firewarden... Firewarden coming through...

Princess Kiku...

Please give me more of the drug...

...the drug... more...

So beautiful you are, Ayaji... and Mino...

All such beautiful ones are better off dead!

Hey! Drowned bodies! Hey! Drowned bodies!

Are they men or women?

Dummy! Women of course! Otherwise why come running to see them?

Damn! What a shame!

Move it! Move it! Move it, if you don't want to deal with us!

Sir, looks like she is another victim of an opium overdose!

They must be the ladies-in-waiting at the Inner Court...

Judging from their hairstyle, no doubt about it.

You are Sir Nemuri Kyoshiro, are you not?

Torizo, you said your name was?

What do you do for a living?

An example of my work, sir.

You're a craftsman, a sculptor in silver.

Were you going to sell that to someone in the inner court?

No, sir...

You're an underground Christian.

There are still many Christians here in Edo.

This is a commission I've been asked to make for a fellow worshipper.

I couldn't care less about such a thing!

Please, sir...

Save the life of a saint that we of the faith greatly revere!

A saint?

Do such people exist in this world?

Yes, they do! I saw her when I was in Nagasaki! With my own eyes!

Oh? And?

She's left Nagasaki... now she is hiding somewhere near Lake Hamana.

But, the persecution of Christians has intensified...

...and I'm told that arrests are now being made almost every day.

It's clear that the Shogunate wants to capture her...

...send her to Edo, and torture her in front of the faithful...

...before finally putting her to death without mercy!

Should something like that happen...

...life would not be worth living anymore.

Just the thought of the anguish to which she'd be subjected...

Please save her! I beg you!

I flatly refuse to help such a person.

Sir...

...she is someone who knows about the circumstances of your birth.

Who is it? What's her name?

She is called the "Virgin Shima", sir.

"The Virgin Shima?" A woman, huh?

Yes, sir.

She is a very young woman... and a beautiful one at that.

Sir, you will go save her, I hope...

I don't want to know about the circumstances of my birth.

If you want to save this priestess of yours, then do it yourselves.

Stop!

I am Constable Mamoriyama Ikujiro.

Who was that man?

A crook, a pickpocket, you know...

I was just lecturing him, so that he would mend his ways.

"Bizenya- Wholesale Rice Dealer"

These tags show the content.

Opium... Crystal glassware... Tortoise-shell goods... Clocks... Fabrics...

Upon delivery to the Inner Court, we get so much gold in payment...

...that the return on our investment is a hundred-fold!

Bizenya, we can laugh all the way to the bank!

No doubt about it, sir!

Of all out goods, opium is the most profitable.

It's all thanks to you Dr. Muroya Jundo, official physician of the Inner Court.

I can't thank you enough.

As men are forbidden in the Inner Court...

...many of its inmates suffer from their absence.

That gave me the idea to devise a scheme employing opium.

I began with Princess Kiku, then others... and it worked every time.

Now, however, Elder Mizuno is having trouble controlling her.

Yes, but she is the daughter of the former Shogun...

...and so, it is difficult for anyone to order her around.

Still, it's such a waste that all the beauties of the Inner Court...

...will die, one after another.

You can't be serious! No woman of the Inner Court is beautiful!

They're nothing but pathetic pigs! Filthy and wicked!

Dr. Muroya, I can understand why someone like you would say so...

...but I just can't understand why the Princess must kill...

...the other girls as she does. It's just beyond me.

Just this morning, I heard that two ladies-in-waiting...

...Ayaji and Mino... were found drowned in the river.

As she is becoming increasingly erratic and sadistic...

...there's no guarantee that our smuggling won't be exposed.

We must think of some way to deal with the problem now, or else...

I know that already.

We'll gently manipulate Elder Mizuno.

No, let's approach him with a business proposition.

We're already tipping Mizuno off about the underground Christians...

...and thus, he is looking good in the eyes of the Shogunate.

In return, our shipments should be exempt from official inspection.

Money will be required. You know what to do.

Yes, sir. No matter how much is needed.

"No matter how much?"

What a braggart you are!

Who are you?! You, over there!

No need to worry, sir.

He's a Chinese colleague who came with the shipment from Amoi.

I'm the 13th descendant of Chen Gen-Ping, Chen Sun.

Chen Gen-Ping?

The one from Shaolin Temple in Ming-era China, who introduced...

...Shorinji-Style Boxing to Japan?

The same.

The next shipment will be arriving soon, at the nearby port of Hamamatsu.

Long time no see!

What, still around? The Master of Shorinji Boxing?

It's been a while since we last parted... Well? Wanna go have a drink?

I was just on my way to see a girl.

Oh? We're in Fukagawa... A geisha, eh? Or, a tea-house hostess?

You don't talk like a Chinese man!

Hey! Over here!

An ardent woman-chaser, I see!

I don't chase after average women...

...but, she seemed to have a peculiar aura surrounding her.

I doubt that she'll be alive... for too much longer.

I've never felt a premonition of good news...

...but I can always sense bad omens.

It's like a sixth sense that I've acquired.

Perhaps that's why I've got a feeling that you've just come from Bizenya's.

We shall meet again!

Hold it! Hold it!

Halt! Hold it!

Halt!

Sir!

Sir Nemuri! Please help me!

Silence!

You fool!

It's all because of your silly belief in Christianity!

No! Help me!

Did you really mean that?

If you don't believe me, then suit yourself.

Damn you! Let me go! Damn you!

Sir Nemuri! Please help me!

"Christian Prison - Main Entrance"

Water... Water...

Gracias...

God will save you.

You gave me water.

You are kind hearted.

I didn't give you water out of pity.

What I want to know is...

...how much strength...

...your god will give you... mentally and physically.

That's what I'd like you to show me.

Johannes...

This girl will be sleeping with you, starting tonight.

I brought sake too. Drink as much as you want.

Screw her if you'd like. Our girls are quite excellent lays!

This is a Statement of Conversion of Faith.

"Although I came to this nation as a Christian Missionary...

"...I hereby renounce and disclaim my faith in Christ."

"From now on, Buddhism shall be my only faith..."

"...and I will never return to Christianity."

Do you understand?

Fingerprint it in blood and give it to us when you are done.

Kosuzu... it's all for your brother Torizo's sake.

Offer your body to him.

I beg you...

Because of his forbidden faith in Christ, my brother was arrested.

He will be executed tomorrow.

But, if you couple with me, and then renounce your Christian faith...

...my brother will be saved.

I'll make you want to make love to me!

Come now... Please hold me in your arms!

Renounce your Christian faith...

Abandon your god... and take me now!

He had me! He had me!

The missionary has made love to me!

My brother will be saved!

"I pledge to forsake my faith... Johannes Cerdini."

- Go! - Go!

Ha! Missionary or not, a man is a man!

Helpless before a girl!

Faith in Christianity, ha! Give me a break!

So, now he's a Buddhist, eh?

Go to hell!

You're ruthless! You're demons!

How dare you deceive me... and put me through this?

Save my brother!

Save him!

Takebe... Yes, ma'am.

You may begin now.

- Brother! - Kosuzu! Hurry! Run!

Hurry and run!

Brother!

Brother!

Brother!

Kosuzu!

A meddler! Kill him!

Torizo! This is all because of your faith in a god that doesn't exist!

Sir Nemuri!

Kosuzu!

You fool! She won't come back to life! Run!

She's the daughter of former Shogun Ienari, isn't she?

Does she think this is funny... that it's all a show or something?

Why you! Such impudence! Kill him! Kill him!

Go!

You can't be serious, Elder Mizuno!

How could I possibly tell such a thing to the Princess?!

It is the shogun's order, after all.

But, exiling her from Edo is so unreasonable!

Elder Mizuno, please request that he reconsider!

As his decisions are final, changes are impossible.

He has requested that Princess Kiku be punished and restrained...

...at the castle of Lord Honda Nakastukasa-Tayu, who is...

...in charge of a 50,000-koku fief in Okazaki.

Elder Mizuno!

Such is his order!

Elder!

Lady Fujiyo... His letter will be delivered to you at a later date.

Give my regards to the Princess.

"Muroya Jundo"

I understand that the Doctor is out, as he is off duty today.

Please inform him that Nemuri Kyoshiro stopped by to return his medicine box.

I'm sorry to keep you waiting, sir.

Are you standing in for Dr. Muroya Jundo?

My name is Bizenya Tokuemon, sir.

I figured that you'd pop up here.

I'm told that you come to return the medicine box...

...that you had previously taken from the Doctor.

There was opium in the box.

Bizenya, you introduced opium into the Inner Court, didn't you?

That's ludicrous! I'm just a rice dealer, nothing else!

I have absolutely no knowledge of drugs whatsoever.

You know nothing, eh?

Yet, you can manipulate Princess Kiku, the daughter ofthe former Shogun...

...and the Elders ofthe Shogunate...

...making them your "hear-no-evil-see-no-evil" dupes.

How ridiculous that sounds!

It's no use pretending ignorance!

The trader in rice... is in reality a trader in contraband!

A doctor who's authorised to enter the Inner Court, forbidden to other men...

Girls ofthe Inner Court turning up dead, one after another, killed by opium...

The Princess Kiku, who delights in murder...

And then there's all the rare foreign goods you're smuggling...

Anybody can see that you're making a killing from it all.

You speak as if you're very certain about all of this, sir.

Am I wrong Bizenya?

Sir Nemuri...

You've come a long way to return that box... What are you really after?

You've been killing helpless souls as if they were merely bugs.

I came to tell you to stop doing so.

What if I say, "I refuse?"

I'll kill you!

Sir Nemuri... is there any chance you'll consider working for us?

Of course, I know you're not the type of man to agree to such a thing.

But I'm afraid you know too much about us.

Looks like we're destined to become enemies...

...which means that we'll have to see which one of us dies first.

Bizenya... how many assassins have you bought?

Eleven. And they're selected from the best of the best.

I'd love to test their skills.

You're quite skillful.

I am Shogunate Sergeant of the Guards... Shimosora Tenma!

I'm an unworthy being... Nemuri Kyoshiro.

I shall allow you to witness my Full Moon Cut!

Torizo!

S... Sir Nemuri!

P... Please...

...s... save the Virgin Shima... please...

S... She's a blood-relative of yours...

Torizo! What do you mean she's a blood-relative?! Torizo!

Sir Nemuri, what's wrong?

I'll be setting out on a journey.

A journey? Where are you going, sir?

I must go to see a certain saintly woman.

A saintly woman?

She's a godlike woman.

What? Kyoshiro left Edo?! You're sure about that?

Yes, sir. To see a woman called "The Virgin Shima".

Uh-huh... The Virgin Shima, huh?

Did this Torizo fellow... sense something about our smuggling at Nagasaki?

Yes, that's why we had him killed.

Kyoshiro knows a little too much about us.

Let's send someone after him to kill him on the road.

A stock method like that won't work.

Chen Sun... are you afraid of him?

Look... you'll be sorry if you try making a fool out of me.

I'm a colleague of yours, not a subordinate!

No need to lose your temper like that. I was just asking.

Don't ask something not worth asking!

My Shorinji Boxing has 6 forms and 173 techniques.

When the time is right, I'll defeat his Full Moon Cut.

Why did you just try to see my face?

Something bothered me... I sensed a bad omen on your face.

I don't live for tomorrow... So I'm not interested in hearing my fortune.

You must already know that the omen is dire.

"Honmei-Tekisatsu": Astrologically based fortune telling system. The Honmei-Tekisatsu signs, which are always reliable, indicate...

That if you cross Mt. Hekone and head west... you'll die!

I must ignore your warning, but thank you for telling me.

Why do you gaze at her in such a manner?

My name is Seiga. I am a medium who lives in this neighbourhood.

Her demeanour seems quite bizarre, for a bride about to be wed.

It's as if she's ready to fight a serious duel.

Such sharp eyes you have.

In this village, we have a very old tradition.

On the eve of a wedding, we pray while the bride unites with another man.

You mean a man other than the groom?

"Yobai": Sneaking into a house at night to have a secret affair. 'Tis a "Yobai" Ritual... at which I'll be chanting Sanskrit prayers.

Would you like to see it?

Ronin...

You're still here... is it because you wish to become a sacrifice?

"A sacrifice?" What do you mean by "sacrifice?"

The bride's spirit has entered into me.

You will offer yourself to me with all your vigour.

You must have given her some sort of aphrodisiac.

That was a very rough coupling.

Make love to me...

Make love to me!

Make love to me... Make love to me...

Honmei-Tekisatsu...

I went west, but it was the fortune-teller himself who died!

"Due to flooding, the ferry is temporarily out of service." Out of service? This is bad news!

When will the ferry resume service?

Sir, the rain has stopped, so we should be able to cross the river by tomorrow.

I see.

"Inferno."

Hold it...

"Inferno" is a Christian term for "Hell"

If you're warning me that I'm going to hell... you're a little late...

It is I who will be going to hell.

I have to sell myself just to put a roof over my head, you see.

Please buy me for the night.

In Shimada, you'll find many whores...

...but, don't you think I'd be much better?

Say... don't you want to buy me... for tonight?

All right, then.

You must think that I'm odd.

Can you complain?

For using a Christian word to get your attention, when I'm not a believer.

Are you from Edo?

Despite how things look now I used to be a geisha.

I ended up with a wicked pimp, and now I'm reduced to whoring on the road.

You remind me of someone...

I do? Who do I remind you of?

The man who was put on a cross.

What nonsense.

Where did you see his face?

On a bronze sculpture.

How, when you're not a Christian?

Let's just say that there was a man to whom I was engaged.

I don't know how it happened, but while he was in Kamigata on business...

He got hooked on the forbidden faith of Christianity.

When he came back to Edo, he completely ignored me.

He would chant these strange prayers whenever he could.

He was worshipping this statuette of a naked woman...

...named "Maria" and that was the last straw as far as I was concerned.

So, things began to fall apart between us.

Then that bastard pimp... showed up like a tick that's scented blood.

That's enough. Well, why don't we have a drink.

Oh... If I drink I'll completely lose control of myself...

...so, let's go to bed instead.

Osen... make the lamp brighter.

Oh... I'd be embarrassed with the lamp on.

Never mind that! Just make it brighter!

Osen...

...you put poison in my sake...

...but you didn't put in enough...

...to kill me before I have my way with you.

Come out! Whoever's hiding in there!

You're the pimp that Osen was talking about!

He must have been using you to trap me...

...in order to earn himself a hefty reward.

I see that men have often mistreated you.

There are some women whose devotion to a man increases...

...as he becomes more and more wicked and unworthy.

Looks like you're one of those women.

I cut out his eye.

Now that he's blind, he won't bother you anymore, I'm sure.

Nemuri!

Looks like you've been keeping busy.

Women are devilish creatures... but, in essence, they're pitiful beings.

That man who attacked you... I killed him.

Because he's not useful anymore, right?

Exactly. For Osen's sake too.

I hear that this priestess, this "Virgin Shima", is an unmatched beauty.

Fight your way through until you see her.

As the saying goes, "Leopards with fine spots get skinned".

One dangerous predicament after another...

That's a life worthy of a man!

I shall see you in Hamamatsu.

- Proceed. - Yes, Sir! Yes, sir!

It's so horrible! Hanging him like that... after first killing him!

Oh! That's the Edo actor Morita Kangoro.

You know of him?

Of course I do! I just saw his play 4 or 5 days ago in Kamikata!

He was a popular young actor, about to become a big star.

Such an unlucky fellow... To be killed so mercilessly!

Hey... I heard he was seen entering the Chief Vassal's mansion last night.

What? The Chief Vassal's mansion?

Yeah... Then, did he...

Stop! Don't be spreading rumours! Uh-oh!

Oh! Is that a samurai I see?

You must be Sir Nemuri Kyoshiro.

Correct.

Our clan's Chief Vassal, Sir Fujinami Yamato, insists on seeing you.

Do you mind, sir?

If I refuse you'll try to take me by force... Am I correct?

I am quite astounded at your good sense!

Well... the reason why I requested your presence is...

...at Princess Kiku's request, right?

Er, yes... it's embarrassing, but...

You see, my master, Lord Ota Bichunokami, is away...

...at present because of the Alternate Residence system.

As you know, Princess Kiku is the former Shogun's daughter...

She is in our care now, but...

...it seems that...

...she is a bit overly amorous...

...and, she insists that... well, how shall I put it?

...that, just for tonight... she wishes that... you'd...

"...sleep with her?" Is that right?

Well... exactly!

As a Chief Vassal, I, Fujinami Yamato...

...apologize for having requested something so undignified!

Please forget all the formalities. I'm only a petty ronin, after all.

Then, you will consent to it?

It's an easy request to fill.

I'm much obliged, sir!

In that case, please go to bed at 8 o'clock.

Kyoshiro... I hate you!

...and I ache for the beauty of your face.

I won't ever let you leave my arms... I won't!

Kyoshiro!

Sir Nemuri, I was really scared stiff... Not knowing if I would live or die.

Good to see you survived.

It was a role worth playing, wouldn't you say?

My colleague was murdered! This was the vengeance of an Edo actor!

You're the best, Morita Kumeji. What you did was very brave.

But, Sir Nemuri... we still need to...

Let me take care of the rest. Go now, Kumeji.

Deceiving the Princess... it was a despicable thing to do!

I made a request of you only because I truly believed she desired you!

How could you do it?!

Chief Vassal, sir, you must be a master prevaricator!

You knew damn well that once she was done playing with me...

...she'd kill me, just like a mantis kills her mate.

Well...

Chief Vassal, sir... this honed sword of mine is the Muso Masamune.

I'll let you taste it.

W... wait!

I expect that her deadly eccentricities must be a nuisance for your House.

I must ask you once again... Where is the Princess?

She'll be performing a Noh dance today.

Permit me to enjoy it...

Known for his frolicking...

... in the eastern provinces the "lover of the moon..."