“Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion” (女囚701号 さそり) Original Release Japanese STB / Tatekan Poster 1972, Unrestored, Very Good Display Condition, 2-Panel approx. 51 x 145 cm Q108

“Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion” (女囚701号 さそり)
Original release Japanese STB / Tatekan poster, 1972
Unrestored, complete two-panel format — approx. 51 x 145 cm

Offered here is a complete, original-release Japanese STB / Tatekan poster for Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, the first film in Meiko Kaji’s original Toei Scorpion cycle. Released in Japan in 1972 and directed by Shunya Ito, the film introduced Kaji’s Nami Matsushima — one of the defining screen identities of 1970s Japanese exploitation cinema.

This is the first film in the Female Prisoner Scorpion series, making it especially important for collectors of Meiko Kaji, Toei exploitation, pinky-violence cinema, and original Japanese theatrical paper.

This example was previously displayed in a cinema in South Japan over 50 years ago, giving it genuine theatrical-use provenance and the kind of authentic exhibition history rarely retained with surviving STB material.

Meiko Kaji and the birth of Scorpion

Meiko Kaji’s portrayal of Nami Matsushima, later known simply as Scorpion, became one of the most iconic female revenge figures in Japanese cinema. The original Scorpion films occupy a central place in the history of 1970s pinky-violence and revenge cinema, combining stylised violence, prison melodrama, political anger, and Kaji’s unmistakable screen presence.

As the debut entry in the cycle, Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion established the visual and psychological template for the series: betrayal, imprisonment, institutional cruelty, and Nami’s transformation into a near-mythic figure of vengeance.

The poster

Electric-blue ground, prison-bar imagery, vast orange “さそり” typography, and Meiko Kaji’s unmistakable stare

This STB design is one of the most forceful visual statements from the entire Scorpion series. The upper panel places the viewer inside the violent prison world: bold yellow vertical copy, a dramatic barred stairwell scene, a guard in pursuit, and Nami low to the ground beneath the stark 女囚701号 title. Across the central join, the jagged orange さそり lettering slashes through the composition.

The lower panel is anchored by a monumental close-up of Meiko Kaji, her downward stare dominating a dense montage of prison punishment, forced labour, confrontation, and violence. At full STB scale, the design has the impact of a compact Japanese theatrical billboard.

Rarity and survival

Why STB / Tatekan-format Japanese posters are genuinely scarce

The STB / Tatekan is a tall Japanese theatrical display format, formed from two vertically arranged B2 sheets and measuring approximately 51 x 145 cm. These posters were produced in much smaller quantities than standard B2 posters and were designed for public-facing cinema display.

Their size, two-panel construction, and exposure to handling and environmental wear mean far fewer survive intact. For a key 1972 exploitation title such as the first Female Prisoner Scorpion, a complete original-release STB is a highly desirable and genuinely scarce format.

Condition

Very Good display condition / unrestored / complete two-panel example, with visible original cinema-use wear

This poster is unrestored and complete in two separate sections. It has not been linen-backed or conservation-backed, and it remains an honest original example with authentic signs of theatrical use. It presents very strongly overall, with vivid colour and excellent wall presence. There is visible edge wear, fold wear, corner wear, and old exhibition-related marks.

About STB / Tatekan posters

STBs are tall, two-panel Japanese standing-board posters measuring roughly 51 x 145 cm, formed from two B2-size sheets. They were designed for vertical display in and around cinemas, making them closer in effect to compact theatrical billboards than standard wall posters.

Because of their size, two-piece construction, lower production numbers, and public-display use, surviving originals are far rarer than ordinary Japanese B2 posters. For major 1970s cult titles — and especially for Meiko Kaji / Scorpion material — first-release STBs are among the most desirable Japanese theatrical formats.

It is over 54 years old!