“KIRIN LAGER BEER × HARRISON FORD” (1995) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B2 ADVERTISING POSTER – “MR. BEER” CAMPAIGN (STORE‑USE / 非売品)
Extremely Rare | In‑Store Display (Not for Sale) | First Issue 1995 | 51 × 73 cm (B2)
This is an original Japanese B2 poster from Kirin Lager Beer’s early‑’90s “Mr. Beer” campaign featuring Harrison Ford. While the campaign’s started in 1993, this exact poster was store‑displayed in 1995, and shows only minor signs of period use—a fantastic survivor from Japan’s golden era of beer advertising.
Japan‑only design & credit
This is a Japan‑exclusive, store‑use (非売品) promotional sheet—distributed to retailers for display and not sold to the public. As with many ’90s in‑store POP posters, specific agency/photographer credits are not printed on the sheet, which is typical for display materials intended for short retail runs.
Poster design (what you see here)
A clean studio‑white background and bold red typography make this instantly iconic. The headline reads 「この味が、ビール」 (“This taste is beer.”), paired with the sub‑copy 「キレ味、だいご味 キリンラガー」—a punchy line playing on “crisp finish” and the “real pleasure / richness” of the flavor (a nod to 醍醐味). Ford is pictured raising a chilled Kirin Lager can, while the bottom right features a condensation‑covered 350 ml can pack‑shot. The bottom legal line reads: 「ビールは、20歳になってから。あきかんは、リサイクルへ。」 (“Beer is for age 20+; please recycle cans.”).
Beer & celebrity in Japan
Kirin Lager is one of Japan’s most established lager brands, and celebrity endorsements have long been a hallmark of Japanese advertising—especially in beverages—making this campaign a perfect intersection of heritage brewing and Hollywood star power.
Ford’s Kirin Lager Beer commercials ran in this same early‑’90s era, and the campaign remains a standout example of Japan’s iconic, minimalist, high‑impact ad style.
About the B2 format (size & rarity)
Japanese advertising posters commonly use B2 size (51 × 73 cm / approx. 20.1 × 28.7 in). In‑store brewery posters were typically printed for short display windows, handled heavily, and discarded—so clean originals are genuinely hard to find decades later.
Why this example is extraordinary (rarity & market)
Most surviving ’90s beer POP shows heavy wear (tape marks, major tearing, fold lines, staining). This piece retains strong color, a clean image area, and only light, honest display wear, making it a highly collectible example—especially with the unmistakable Harrison Ford visual and bold red Kirin typography.
Condition
Excellent overall condition with minor signs of use from period display (1995). Notably: light edge wear / slight top‑edge handling and small display-related imperfections consistent with being pinned up. No major tears, no heavy creasing, and no fold lines visible in the main image area. Please review the close‑up photos for exact detail.
It is over 30 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A rare, nostalgia‑rich Kirin Lager “Mr. Beer” Japanese B2 poster—an authentic, store‑use (非売品) piece with great presence, strong graphics, and excellent overall condition for a poster that actually lived on the wall in 1995.
