“Living Koheiji” (生きてゐる小平次), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1982, Tadanori Yokoo, ATG, Very Rare, B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm) — A41A

This is a very rare original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the 1982 release of Living Koheiji, featuring artwork and design by Tadanori Yokoo. Produced through the collaboration between Isoda Office and the Art Theatre Guild (ATG), the film marked the final feature of celebrated Japanese horror director Nobuo Nakagawa.

Best known for Jigoku and The Ghost of Yotsuya, Nakagawa returned here to the traditional Japanese ghost story with an intimate drama of desire, jealousy and attempted murder. Adapted from Senzaburo Suzuki’s play, the film centres on a travelling actor whose feelings for his friend’s wife lead to a disturbing confrontation—and a return that unsettles the boundary between life and death.

With a principal cast of just Fumihiko Fujima, Junko Miyashita and Shoji Ishibashi, the film builds its atmosphere through performance, carefully composed images and the tensions between its three characters.

Yokoo’s poster gives this haunting story an equally distinctive visual identity. A solitary, kimono-clad figure stands against a broad pale cream background, its face delicately outlined and its body seemingly dissolving into loose strokes of red and blue. The red marks suggest blood and injury, while the translucent blue passages give the figure a spectral, unstable presence.

The expansive empty space makes the image particularly unsettling. The figure seems suspended between a portrait, a theatrical apparition and an unfinished painting, with fine drawing still visible beneath the expressive colour.

Large deep-blue brush lettering runs vertically beside the figure, spelling out the Japanese title. The director’s name, production information and cast credits are reproduced in loose handwriting, extending the drawn character of the artwork across the entire composition. A small red ATG emblem appears near the top, while “Tadanori YOKOO” is printed discreetly in the lower-right margin.

The opening line of the handwritten promotional verse reads:

「これはこの世のことならず」
“This is not of this world.”

It is an apt introduction to a design whose power comes from its fragile figure, restrained palette and uneasy stillness. A compelling piece for collectors of Tadanori Yokoo, ATG cinema and Japanese supernatural film.

Condition: Excellent.

The red and blue artwork remains vivid, and the poster presents attractively overall. There are handling creases and paper undulations, with more noticeable creasing along portions of the side edges. Light surface marks are visible on the reverse.

Please review all photographs, including the front, reverse and close-up images, as they show the exact poster for sale.

Japanese B2 size: approximately 51.5 × 72.8 cm.
Stock code: A41A.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.