This is an original Japanese B3 promotional poster printed in 1997 for 「もののけ姫の世界展」 (“Princess Mononoke World Exhibition”), a special event mounted at Shinjuku Takashimaya to commemorate the theatrical release of Princess Mononoke (もののけ姫), Hayao Miyazaki’s landmark Studio Ghibli epic. Produced by Studio Ghibli for Tokuma Shoten / Nippon Television Network / Dentsu and distributed in Japan by Toho, the film featured voice performances by Yōji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida, Yūko Tanaka and others, with Joe Hisaishi’s magnificent score. It became Japan’s biggest box-office hit of 1997 and remains one of the defining achievements of modern animation.
Unlike the standard theatrical one-sheets, this is a short-run exhibition / department-store promotional poster created to advertise the tie-in event held at the 10th-floor special venue of Shinjuku Takashimaya, running from 24 July to 5 August 1997, with admission priced at 300 yen. Posters of this kind were printed for a very specific purpose and brief display period, then usually discarded once the promotion ended, making surviving originals much harder to find than the better-known cinema posters. This particular B3 is especially desirable because it is not simply a film poster in reduced size: it is a distinct 1997 promotional design combining key Princess Mononoke imagery with exhibition copy, Takashimaya branding, and a diagonal filmstrip of beloved characters from earlier Miyazaki / Ghibli works. It is a true original first-period promotional piece from the film’s historic initial Japanese release campaign, not a later decorative reproduction.
Film background
Set in late-Muromachi Japan, Princess Mononoke follows Ashitaka, an Emishi prince cursed after defending his village from a demonic boar god. His search for a cure draws him into a brutal conflict between the spirits of the forest and the expanding human world, where he encounters San—the fierce wolf-raised girl known as Princess Mononoke. Rejecting simple heroes and villains, Miyazaki shaped the story into a sweeping meditation on nature, industry, violence, and coexistence. The film became a cultural milestone in Japan and one of the most influential animated features ever made.
Poster design
This horizontal B3 promotional sheet functions almost like a miniature showcase for the world of the film. Ashitaka appears at left in motion, San stands bloodied and defiant in the centre, and the immense face of Moro dominates the composition behind her, while the kodama glow from the dark forest at right. Two bold red vertical slogans frame the main imagery, and the vivid yellow lower panel announces the 「もののけ姫の世界展」 event at Shinjuku Takashimaya. The diagonal filmstrip along the lower right adds a celebratory exhibition feel, featuring nostalgic imagery from other Miyazaki / Ghibli favourites and reinforcing the poster’s identity as a special event-promotion piece rather than a standard cinema poster.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is nearly 30 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
