Original Japanese 1950s Movie Posters (1950–1959)

Explore Japan Poster Shop’s exceptional collection of original Japanese movie posters from the 1950s (1950–1959), featuring rare first-release theatrical artwork, historically significant advertising and museum-grade rarities associated with some of the greatest films ever made.

The 1950s are widely regarded as a golden age of Japanese cinema, a period of extraordinary artistic achievement during which Japanese filmmakers attained unprecedented international recognition. The decade also produced some of the most beautiful and historically important examples of Japanese theatrical poster design, combining hand-painted illustrations, dramatic photographic compositions, expressive typography and distinctive Showa-era graphic artistry.

Japan Poster Shop has assembled an extensive collection of original Japanese theatrical posters from this remarkable decade, including exceptionally rare first-release examples, unusual promotional formats and historically significant material acquired through private collectors and specialist sources throughout Japan.

Of particular importance are our holdings associated with Akira Kurosawa (黒澤明), whose landmark films Rashomon (1950), Ikiru (1952), Seven Samurai (1954), Throne of Blood (1957) and The Hidden Fortress (1958) helped establish Japanese cinema as a major force in world filmmaking. Original Japanese first-release posters for these masterpieces are among the most desirable and historically significant objects in Japanese film collecting.

Our collection also celebrates the extraordinary work of Yasujirō Ozu (小津安二郎), including Early Summer (1951), Tokyo Story (1953), Early Spring (1956), Tokyo Twilight (1957) and Floating Weeds (1959). Original theatrical posters for Ozu’s films are particularly prized for their refined compositions, historical importance and exceptional rarity.

Another defining achievement of the decade was Godzilla (1954), directed by Ishirō Honda, which introduced one of cinema’s most enduring cultural icons. Our holdings include rare original Japanese theatrical material associated with the first Godzilla film and its sequel, Godzilla Raids Again (1955), including exceptionally scarce first-release posters and unusual promotional formats.

The collection extends to classic Hollywood and international cinema, with particular strength in original Japanese first-release posters for films by Alfred Hitchcock, including Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958) and North by Northwest (1959), alongside other celebrated productions from the period. Japanese theatrical campaigns for Hitchcock’s films frequently employed striking alternative artwork, dramatic illustrations and distinctive Japanese typography, making surviving original examples especially desirable among international collectors.

Our holdings also encompass 1950s horror, science fiction, Gothic cinema, classic Westerns, film noir and European art-house filmmaking, including rare Japanese theatrical posters for influential international productions. Early Japanese horror advertising is particularly notable for its extraordinary illustrations, dramatic compositions and scarcity.

Of exceptional importance are our rare original Japanese STB Tatekan posters (approximately 51 × 145 cm), together with standard B2 theatrical posters, larger B1 formats, early billboards and unusual cinema advertising variants. The distinctive vertical compositions of STB Tatekan posters make them among the most visually compelling and difficult-to-find surviving formats from the period.

Many original Japanese posters from the 1950s are now approximately 67 to 76 years old. Their temporary advertising purpose, limited distribution and often demanding theatrical display conditions have contributed to exceptionally low survival rates. Certain designs are known from only a small number of surviving examples, while others are rarely encountered outside established private collections and specialist archives.

The rarest pieces in this collection represent museum-grade examples of cinematic ephemera, significant not only for their association with landmark films but also for their importance to Japanese graphic design, postwar cultural history and the international development of cinema.

Every poster offered by Japan Poster Shop is an authentic original, carefully sourced in Japan and individually researched, catalogued and photographed. We do not sell reproductions. All posters are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, with worldwide DHL Express shipping available from our gallery in Tokyo.