“The Snow Woman” (怪談雪女郎 / Kaidan Yukijorō), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1968, STB Tatekan Size (51 × 145 cm) B295

This is an original Japanese STB (tatekan) movie poster printed in 1968 for the first-release theatrical campaign of The Snow Woman (怪談雪女郎 / Kaidan Yukijorō), also known internationally as Ghost Story of the Snow Witch. Directed by Tokuzō Tanaka and produced by Daiei, the film stars Shiho Fujimura in the title role, with Akira Ishihama, Machiko Hasegawa, and a score by the celebrated composer Akira Ifukube.

Film background
Released on 20 April 1968, The Snow Woman is one of the most visually memorable post-war Japanese adaptations of the Yuki-onna legend. The story draws on the famous tale popularised by Lafcadio Hearn in Kwaidan (1904): a young woodcutter’s apprentice is spared by a supernatural snow spirit on the condition that he never reveal what he has seen. Years later, when he breaks his promise, the past returns in tragic form. Like many of Daiei’s supernatural period films of the era, it combines kaidan atmosphere, folkloric unease, and elegant studio craftsmanship.

Poster design
This is a superb and highly atmospheric STB design, ideally suited to the haunting subject matter. The upper section is dominated by an enormous, spectral close-up of the Snow Woman’s eyes, floating above a blizzard-like field of snow. Below, Shiho Fujimura appears full-length in a pale white kimono, standing eerily still against the winter landscape, her long black hair and calm expression giving the image its unforgettable supernatural force.

The title 怪談雪女郎 is printed vertically in large, expressive purple calligraphy, one of the strongest visual features of the design. The left vertical copy adds a dramatic teaser to the film’s ghostly tone, while the lower section introduces supporting cast imagery, including Akira Ishihama and Machiko Hasegawa, set against a more earthly rural scene that contrasts beautifully with the cold, ethereal central figure. Altogether, it is a striking example of late-1960s Japanese horror poster design: sparse, elegant, and unsettling.

About STB / Tatekan posters
STBs (tatekans) are tall Japanese cinema signboard posters, typically measuring around 51 × 145 cm, and usually formed from two stacked B2 sheets. They were designed for display in theatre signboards and exterior units, prioritising visibility over permanence. As a result, original STBs are much scarcer than standard B2 posters, and surviving examples are especially prized by collectors today.

Condition
Very Good / Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 58 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.