“Throne of Blood”, Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1970, STB Size (51 × 145 cm) C104
Japanese title: 「蜘蛛巣城」(Kumonosu-jō — “Spider Web Castle”)
Size: STB / 20 × 57 in (51 × 145 cm)
Country / Studio: Japan / Toho
Printed in 1970 (Shōwa 45) for the Japanese “New Print” re-release of Akira Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood—with the 「ニュー・プリント」 notation printed on the poster—this towering STB tatekan is an exceptionally scarce format for one of the director’s most important films. Japanese paper for major Kurosawa titles is always sought after, but the STB is on another level: a large-format street-display poster produced for outdoor theatrical use, with a naturally very low survival rate. For collectors of Kurosawa, Toho, and classic Japanese cinema paper, an original 1970 re-release STB for Throne of Blood is very rare and highly desirable.
Design highlights
This is a superb and deeply atmospheric design, perfectly suited to the film’s menace and grandeur. The upper section is dominated by a huge, haunting female visage emerging from mist, with the title crashing down the left side in massive blood-red brushstroke lettering, while cavalry and soldiers materialise through fog beneath her. The lower section shifts to martial power, with an armoured horseman charging forward through battlefield smoke and chaos. The contrast between the vivid red title, the dark blue calligraphy, and the mist-filled war imagery gives the poster tremendous impact from a distance—exactly what an STB tatekan was designed to do. Kurosawa’s credit is prominently displayed at right beneath the Toho emblem, adding further authority to an already unforgettable design.
Cultural impact
Released in 1957, Throne of Blood remains one of the most admired Shakespeare adaptations ever made, transforming Macbeth into a vision of prophecy, ambition, and doom set in feudal Japan. Kurosawa’s fusion of Noh-inflected stylisation, fog-shrouded landscapes, and samurai violence created one of the defining achievements of postwar Japanese cinema. Posters for the film are sought after in any format, but in towering STB form the imagery becomes almost billboard-like—an extraordinary surviving piece of Kurosawa theatrical ephemera.
Condition
Overall excellent condition, and complete in the standard two-piece STB format. As noted, there are minor small pinholes from previous display, light edge wear, and gentle age toning to the blank reverse. The poster still presents beautifully, with strong colour, excellent contrast, and outstanding display presence. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.
Authentication
Guaranteed original Japanese theatrical poster from the 1970 re-release; not a reproduction or modern print.
About STB (Tatekan) posters
STBs are tall, two-sheet vertical posters (approximately 51 × 145 cm) printed on thin stock and designed for display on wooden stands outside cinemas and along busy approaches. They effectively functioned as mini billboards, and because they were exposed to weather, handling, and frequent replacement, very few survived. Original examples for major Kurosawa titles are scarce in any format, and STB tatekans are among the rarest and most impressive of all Japanese poster types.
