GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN / ゴジラの逆襲 Japan (Toho), 1955 Original first-release Japanese theatrical poster (B2 / chihōban (地方版), Style B) Colour-printed poster on paper, professionally linen-backed

GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN / ゴジラの逆襲
Japan (Toho), 1955
Original first-release Japanese theatrical poster (B2 / chihōban (地方版), Style B)
Colour-printed poster on paper, professionally linen-backed 
A crown-jewel sequel sheet from the dawn of kaijū cinema: the exceedingly elusive regional (“chihōban”) Style B for Gojira no Gyakushū—a poster whose scarcity is so extreme that this is the first time we have ever seen/handled an example.
In practical collecting terms, it sits in the “only a few may still exist” category: a genuine, early Shōwa survival from the most chased monster franchise on earth.
“A first-release chihōban Style B so rare that many Godzilla collectors will never encounter one in the wild.”

Key Facts

Film: Godzilla Raids Again (Gojira no Gyakushū / ゴジラの逆襲)
Director: Motoyoshi Oda（小田基義）
Story (Original): Shigeru Kayama（香山滋）
Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya（円谷英二）
Release: 1955 (Japan)
Poster format: B2 chihōban (地方版 / regional variant), Style B — c. 53.3 × 75.6 cm (21 × 29.75 in) (as offered)
Conservation: Professional linen-backing for long-term stability and display (details below)

Rarity and Market Context

The chihōban factor: regional paper that almost never survives

“Chihōban” (地方版) sheets were regional/theatre-distribution variants—working objects meant for local display, handling, and disposal. Survival rates are dramatically lower than standard-issue studio posters, and this title/variant combination pushes that math to the extreme.
Style B chihōban for Godzilla Raids Again is an “exceedingly rare / elusive” configuration—the kind of piece that appears so infrequently it effectively becomes a milestone acquisition when it does surface.

A once-in-many-years kaijū poster

This is the kind of poster defined by visibility scarcity: not merely “hard to find,” but functionally absent from the market for long periods, even as demand remains constant.

Motoyoshi Oda and the Status of Godzilla Raids Again

The first Godzilla sequel—and the first kaijū-vs-kaijū showdown

Godzilla Raids Again is a foundational chapter: the second film in the series, and the moment the franchise establishes a template that would echo for decades—Godzilla battling another monster, here the spiked quadruped Anguirus (アンギラス).
Internationally, the film is famously associated with the re-edited U.S. release title “Gigantis the Fire Monster”, a footnote that only amplifies collector interest in true country-of-origin Japanese paper.

Osaka in flames: the franchise expands its geography and spectacle

The sequel’s most enduring imagery is the Osaka destruction motif—perfectly distilled here through the poster’s inferno palette and the placement of a castle backdrop behind the monsters’ clash.

The B2 Chihōban Format

Japanese posters exist in multiple standard sizes and designs, but the chihōban variant changes the survival math completely: it was a regional working sheet, often featuring blank or open areas intended for exhibitor show information—exactly the kind of poster least likely to be saved.
This example retains that authentic theatre-use character in the lower blank area, which bears bold period show copy.

Poster Design: Peak Mid‑Shōwa Monster-Poster Drama

This is an unmistakably powerful Shōwa composition—bold, kinetic, and designed to sell spectacle instantly:

• Monster-to-monster combat as the central event: Godzilla and Anguirus collide across a blazing Osaka skyline.

• Monumental title typography: the huge red ゴジラの逆襲 dominates the sheet with classic Toho-era impact.

• Theatre-ready copy design: the angled blue shout text acts like a graphic siren, pulling the eye straight into the monsters’ “fight-to-the-death” promise.

• Human stakes vignette: the lower-right cast portrait cluster anchors the chaos in human reaction—classic studio-era balance of terror and drama.

Text and Translation Notes

Below are key on-sheet texts and their English meanings as printed on the poster:

Main title: ゴジラの逆襲 — “Godzilla’s Counterattack” (commonly released internationally as Godzilla Raids Again)
Blue tagline (central copy):
凄絶!! 全人類を恐怖のどん底に叩きこむ…ゴジラ対アンギラスの死斗!
“Ferocious!! Driving all humanity into the depths of terror… Godzilla vs Anguirus in a fight to the death!”

Credits (left-side, vertical)

Principal cast as printed (right-side)

Lower red line: 東宝映画壮絶巨篇 — “A spectacular Toho film epic”

Period exhibitor notation (lower blank area, black brush): 7月1日超特別番組
“July 1 — Super Special Program”
A striking, authentic trace of real-world theatrical use consistent with how chihōban sheets were employed.

Conservation

Professional linen-backing for long-term stability

This poster has been professionally linen-backed to ensure structural stability for handling, long-term preservation, and display.

Condition

Excellent display presentation, with strong colour saturation and outstanding overall eye appeal—especially for a working regional theatrical sheet of this era.
The bold exhibitor show-information in the lower area is retained as an authentic historical feature, not a defect, and is consistent with chihōban theatre practice.
Please review the provided photos — they show the exact poster offered.

Certificate of Authenticity included.
Please note the price is fixed for this item. It is not included in any of our periodic sales (e.g. Black Friday)!