“Onibaba” (鬼婆), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1964, Speed Poster Size (c. 26 × 73 cm) O708A

This is an original Japanese Speed poster printed in 1964 for the first theatrical release of Onibaba (鬼婆), written and directed by Kaneto Shindō and distributed by Toho. Starring Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura and Kei Satō, the film remains one of the defining works of Japanese horror—a fierce, sensual folktale in which survival, desire and superstition become inseparable.

This example is in Excellent+ condition, with strong colour and a striking overall presentation. Horizontal fold lines and minor handling wear are visible in the photographs. Please look closely at the additional imagery provided. Once framed, this poster will display excellently.

Film background
Released in 1964, Onibaba unfolds amid the chaos of civil war in medieval Japan. An older woman and her daughter-in-law survive by murdering wandering samurai, selling their armour and disposing of their bodies in a deep pit concealed among the tall grasses. The return of a neighbour from the fighting disturbs their precarious existence, setting jealousy and sexual desire against their dependence on one another.

Shindō turns the landscape into an essential part of the horror: wind, swaying grass and darkness surround the characters, while a sinister demon mask gives their fears a terrifying physical form. Kiyomi Kuroda’s black-and-white cinematography and Hikaru Hayashi’s forceful score create an atmosphere that moves between sensuality and dread.

Poster design
The tall, narrow Speed format gives this design exceptional visual impact. Enormous white characters spelling 鬼婆 dominate the sheet, sweeping across a deep blue-black background and vivid crimson lower field. A demonic face emerges beneath the lettering, its distorted features reinforcing the film’s atmosphere of menace.

The expressive title lettering is by Tarō Okamoto (岡本太郎), explicitly credited on the poster as 「題字・岡本太郎」. Its sweeping strokes and jagged edges make the title itself the central graphic image, giving this poster particular interest for collectors of Japanese cinema and modern Japanese art.

The vertical blue advertising copy at left reads:

「殺し剥ぎ喰う…乱世の芒が原にもだえる男と女！」
“Killing and plundering to eat… men and women in torment amid the pampas grass of a war-torn age!”

The Toho roundel appears at upper right, while the director’s name and principal cast credits occupy the lower section. The small 1964 Toho imprint remains visible along the bottom margin.

Condition
Excellent+ condition. Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale, including both the front and reverse.

This poster is an original Japanese Speed poster from the 1964 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 60 years old!

Certificate of Authenticity included.