Zatoichi at the Fire Festival (1970)

The blind swordsman's 21st film isn't an overly bloody affair, but there’s a fine balance of action and characterisation and even some very funny comedy during a frenetic bath house fight.
It was celebrated director Kenji Misumi’s sixth Zatoichi; he was the man that started the series eight years previously. He’s better known in the West as director of four of the Lone Wolf and Cub films.
For a series to still be this good after so many entries isn't unique to Japan but they are surely the masters at it. Most struggle after a trilogy.

3½ expensive wind chimes out of 5