“Star Wars” (スター・ウォーズ), Original Japanese Re-Release Movie Poster 1982, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA857

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1982 for the Japanese re-release of Star Wars, directed by George Lucas and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, Peter Cushing, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, and Peter Mayhew. This poster was produced to promote the film’s Japanese-language re-release, and the lower text specifically commemorates the launch of the Japanese-dubbed version beginning in May 1982.

Film background

Originally released in 1977, Star Wars — later retitled Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope — remains one of the most important films in modern cinema. Its blend of myth, adventure, science fiction, and visual innovation reshaped the global film industry and established one of the most enduring franchises in movie history. By the time of this 1982 Japanese re-release, the film had already become an international phenomenon, and this campaign helped reintroduce it to audiences in Japan in dubbed form.

For collectors, Japanese re-release posters from this early period are especially appealing because they document the film’s first wave of continued theatrical life, when Star Wars had already become a cultural landmark but still belonged to its original classic era.

Poster design

This is one of the most recognisable and beloved Star Wars images ever used: the iconic romantic-adventure composition with Luke Skywalker raising the lightsaber above Princess Leia, set against the looming shadow of Darth Vader, with the Death Star, starfighters, and C-3PO / R2-D2 completing the scene. The image carries immense nostalgic power and has become inseparable from the early visual identity of the franchise.

What makes this Japanese version especially attractive is the clean white border, the large blue STAR WARS title at lower right, and the red 日本語版 marking, which clearly identifies it as the dubbed-version release. The combination of internationally famous artwork and distinctly Japanese release text gives the poster strong crossover appeal between Hollywood and Japanese poster collecting.

Condition

Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 44 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.