“Matango (マタンゴ)” — Original Japanese STB / Tatekan Poster 1963 — Ultra Rare Country‑of‑Origin Two‑Sheet (approx. 51 × 145 cm / 20 × 57.5 in) — Nara Prefecture Find — Toho, N250

This is an original, ultra‑rare Japanese STB (“Standing Board”) poster printed in 1963 for the first release of Matango—retitled on U.S. television as Attack of the Mushroom People. Created from two overlapping B2 sheets for vertical display on cinema stand boards, survivors are scarce—especially for cult Toho titles that never received an American theatrical release.

Why this example is extraordinary

• Format & scarcity: Authentic STB / tatekan two‑sheet produced in very small numbers for outdoor use; few were saved.

• Country‑of‑origin for a cult classic: Toho original material for Matango is in constant demand precisely because of its TV‑only U.S. exposure.

• Striking imagery: The design prominently features a grotesque “Mushroom Person” alongside the cast—an instantly recognizable, Japan‑only look.

• Provenance: Nara Prefecture find—a clean regional survivor far from the main distribution centers.

Film background

Directed by Ishirō Honda (of Gojira fame) with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, Matango is Honda’s most unsettling non‑kaijū science‑fiction/horror work—often described as “Gilligan’s Island remade as a horror film.” A group of pleasure cruisers are shipwrecked on a fog‑shrouded island where a strange fungus slowly reshapes body and mind. The film’s claustrophobic tone, psychological dread, and unforgettable creature design have earned it enduring cult status.

Poster design

A dynamic, top‑to‑bottom composition built around the massive crimson katakana title 「マタンゴ」 slashing through the image. Within and around the strokes: three portrait panes of the stranded survivors; a sailboat adrift on open water; and multiple views of the bulbous, pustular mushroom creatures rising from sea and forest. The lower sheet centers on a terrified heroine in a mauve hood with a rifle‑bearing companion and group inset, while a vertical magenta copy line at right teases “恐怖／戦慄／人間を襲う『第三の生物』吸血マタンゴの怪!” The Toho roundel appears at upper right with 総天然色 copy—classic early‑’60s studio branding.

Condition

Excellent—a very clean and bright two‑part STB. Previously folded, then stored flat for decades. Please review the listing photos (front and back of both sheets); they show the exact poster offered.

It is over 62 years old.
Not a reproduction or reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.