“Star Wars” (スター・ウォーズ), Original Japanese Advance / First-Release Movie Poster 1978 (film ©1977), B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm) B101 A

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical advance poster for the original Star Wars (later retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope). In Japan, the film debuted in June 1978, and this minimalist “starfield” advance design—created specifically for the Japanese market—has become one of the most recognizable and sought-after early Japanese Star Wars poster variants. 

(While the film is a 1977 release, and the poster carries a ©1977 20th Century Fox credit line at the bottom, this particular Japanese advance style is tied to the film’s 1978 Japanese launch.) 

Star Wars (retroactively titled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope) is a 1977 American epic space-opera film written and directed by George Lucas, produced by Lucasfilm, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Cushing, Alec Guinness, and others, and launched what became one of the most influential franchises in cinema history. 

This B2 “advance” artwork is famously spare and elegant: a deep, azure starfield fills the entire sheet, with a metallic-ink STAR WARS logo anchored low on the design above the Japanese title 「スター・ウォーズ」 and compact credit block (including the Dolby System mark and the Japanese rating stamp in the lower credits). At the top, the Japanese tagline reads:
「遠いむかし　はるか数万光年かなたの銀河系で
とてつもない大冒険が　くりひろげられた…」
(“Once upon a time, in a galaxy tens of thousands of light years away, an incredible adventure unfolded…”)

It’s a beautiful “teaser” concept—evoking the opening crawl and the vastness of space—before character imagery dominated later campaigns.

Condition
Excellent / close to near mint, especially for an original late-1970s Japanese theatrical poster. (NOTE - This poster design in particular is very susceptible to fold lines and other signs of use - we have other copies in less good condition priced accordingly).

Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale. Please review the additional imagery provided.

It is over 47 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.