“KIRIN LAGER BEER × HARRISON FORD × MIHO NAKAYAMA” (1995) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B2 ADVERTISING POSTER – “MR. BEER” CAMPAIGN (STORE-USE / 非売品)
Ultra Rare | In-Store Display (Not for Sale) | 1995 Issue | 51 × 73 cm (B2)
This is an original Japanese B2 poster from Kirin Lager Beer’s 1995 “Mr. Beer” campaign, featuring Harrison Ford alongside the celebrated Japanese singer and actress Miho Nakayama. Issued for retail display rather than public sale, it is a striking survivor from the golden age of Japanese beverage advertising, uniting Hollywood star power with one of Japan’s most recognisable female celebrities of the era.
Japan-only design & credit
This is a Japan-exclusive, store-use (非売品) promotional poster, distributed to retailers for display and not sold to the public. As with many Japanese in-store beer posters of the period, detailed photographer or agency credits do not appear on the sheet, which is typical for short-run point-of-sale advertising material.
Poster design (what you see here)
The design is instantly memorable: a clean white studio background, bold red typography, and the unmistakable pairing of Harrison Ford and Miho Nakayama, each holding a can of Kirin Lager Beer. The top headline reads 「この味が、ビール」 (“This taste is beer”), while the large lower copy reads 「キレ味、だいご味 キリンラガー」, emphasising the beer’s crisp finish and fuller flavour. At lower right appears a sharp product image of the 350 ml can, while the standard legal line runs along the bottom margin: 「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.”). The composition is pure mid-1990s Japanese advertising: minimal, clean, and immediately legible.
Beer & celebrity in Japan
Kirin Lager is one of Japan’s most established beer brands, and this campaign perfectly captures the strength of Japanese advertising in the 1990s: high-profile celebrity endorsement, minimal design, and strong product visibility. Harrison Ford brought international recognition and quiet authority to the campaign, while Miho Nakayama, already one of Japan’s best-known singers and screen stars, added distinctly domestic star appeal. Their pairing gives this poster broader collector interest than many standard brewery advertising sheets from the same period.
About Miho Nakayama
Miho Nakayama was one of the most famous Japanese entertainment figures of the late 1980s and 1990s, known both for her successful music career and for her work in film and television. Her presence here firmly situates the poster within the visual culture of 1990s Japan, and adds an important layer of Japanese celebrity history to the campaign.
About the B2 format (size & rarity)
Japanese advertising posters commonly use B2 size (51 × 73 cm / approx. 20.1 × 28.7 in). Posters of this kind were generally printed for short in-store display campaigns and then discarded, meaning surviving originals are far scarcer than most standard theatrical film posters, especially when they feature internationally famous personalities and well-known Japanese stars.
Why this example is extraordinary (rarity & market)
This is a particularly desirable 1995 Kirin Lager variant, pairing Harrison Ford with Miho Nakayama in a clean, bold, instantly recognisable design. Posters from this campaign were never intended for long-term survival, and most examples were heavily used or discarded. A surviving original with strong colour and good overall presentation is therefore highly collectible, especially for buyers interested in Japanese advertising posters, Miho Nakayama memorabilia, Harrison Ford material, or broader 1990s Japan pop culture.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
The poster presents very well overall, with strong colour and a clean image area. There is a small tear that has been repaired on the verso with archival tape. Once framed, this poster will display exceptionally well.
It is over 30 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A rare and highly evocative Kirin Lager “Mr. Beer” Japanese B2 poster—an authentic store-use (非売品) 1995 advertising original pairing Harrison Ford with Miho Nakayama, and an excellent example of high-impact mid-1990s Japanese commercial design.
