"Shitamachi Hoffmann (下町ホフマン)", Original Japanese Poster Printed in 1976, Designed by Katsuyuki Shinohara, B1 Size

This stunning and rare slightly larger than B1-size (c. 105 × 76 cm) vintage Japanese theater poster is for the 1976 avant-garde play "Shitamachi Hoffmann" (下町ホフマン) by Jūrō Kara (唐十郎), a pioneer of underground theater in Japan.

Designed by Katsuyuki Shinohara (篠原勝之), the artwork is a bold fusion of surrealism and noir, featuring a mysterious femme fatale surrounded by dragonflies, shadowy figures, and ominous fox-masked figures against a stormy, dreamlike backdrop. The intense colors, dramatic composition, and eerie atmosphere perfectly reflect the avant-garde spirit of Kara’s plays.

"Shitamachi Hoffmann" is a radical, gritty reinterpretation of The Tales of Hoffmann, transposing its themes into the underbelly of Tokyo’s old downtown. This poster was printed for a 1978 performance at the future site of Honda Theater (本多劇場) in Tokyo, making it a historically significant piece for collectors of Japanese experimental theater, counterculture, and vintage poster art.

This poster is in very good / excellent condition. Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale. 

It is over 49 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.