“Peter Pan” (ピーター・パン), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster (1955) Ultra Rare B2 (approx. 51.5 × 72.8 cm) — Japan RKO Radio Films — Unrestored, Excellent (G)

A vibrant 1955 Japanese first-release B2 for Disney’s Peter Pan—one of the studio’s most beloved post-war animated features, issued for the film’s first Japanese theatrical release. Anchored by the period credit 日本RKOラヂオ映画 提供 (“Presented by Japan RKO Radio Films”), this is a classic mid-1950s Japanese Disney event sheet—a poster designed to sell the experience of Never Land as a once-in-a-generation family outing.

For collectors, it is a genuine post-war Japanese Disney trophy: spectacular rainbow-gradient colour, bold mid-century typography, and a large central full-figure Peter Pan surrounded by vignette scenes (mermaids, cloud flight, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook). The poster is extremely hard to source even in Japan, and—within our own experience—ranks among the rarest Disney posters we have handled.

Date & Japanese Theatrical Release

Peter Pan premiered in the United States in 1953.

Japan’s first theatrical release followed shortly after in the post-war era: 1955, issued and presented by 日本RKOラヂオ映画 (Japan RKO Radio Films)—as printed on the sheet itself (提供 credit at the bottom).

The Film & Its Place in Disney’s Legacy

Produced by Walt Disney Productions, Peter Pan is a defining work of Disney’s post-war animated canon: a Technicolor, song-driven fantasy adapted from J. M. Barrie and directed by Hamilton Luske, Clyde Geronimi, and Wilfred Jackson.

Historically, Peter Pan is also significant as the final Disney animated feature released through RKO Radio Pictures, marking a turning point in Disney’s distribution history—making Japan RKO-credited materials especially desirable to collectors of “RKO-era” Disney.

Disney, Japan RKO, and Post-War Reception in Japan

This B2 sits within a key post-war arc of Disney feature releases in Japan—when Disney’s long-form animated films were reintroduced as major imported event pictures, frequently marketed as prestige family entertainment.

The poster’s own copy makes this explicit with the large family-event line:

10年に一度 ご家族みなおそろいで 見る映画！
(“Once in ten years—a film the whole family should see together!”)

Together with the RKO branding and “presented by” credit, the sheet reads as a time-capsule of mid-1950s Japan: Disney positioned as a premium international attraction, tied to the RKO distribution network.

Design Notes

A poster built for colour and wonder: the design is engineered for immediate visual impact—a luminous rainbow gradient transitions through warm yellows into greens and reds, dusted with star-like speckles that evoke pixie dust and flight.

Central “hero” portrait: Peter Pan dominates the sheet in full figure, hands on hips, dagger at his side—confident, mischievous, and instantly recognisable even at distance.

Narrative told through vignettes: rather than crowding the sheet with characters, the poster uses framed story “windows”:

• Peter and the mermaids in a roundel,

• Peter with Wendy in a rectangular scene,

• The Darling children flying on a cloud,

• Tinker Bell in a circular vignette,

• Captain Hook in an action scene.

Prestige English branding retained: the lower-middle English reads “Walt Disney’s PETER PAN / Color by TECHNICOLOR”, pairing international-era studio branding with distinctly Japanese campaign typography.

Co-feature integration: a rare period trait—this sheet also advertises the co-feature 熊の楽園 (“Bear Paradise” / Bear Country) within the same layout, framed as part of Disney’s nature-series programming.

Text Translations

Key poster text (Japanese → English):

みんな行こうよ、楽しい夢の『ないない島』へ大冒険！
— “Let’s all go—on a great adventure to the fun dreamland of ‘Never-Never Land’!”

ウォルト・ディズニー・プロ創立25周年記念映画
— “Commemorative film for the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney Productions.”

ウォルト・ディズニー作品
— “A Walt Disney Production.”

色彩長篇絵物語
— “Feature-length colour picture story.”

10年に一度 ご家族みなおそろいで 見る映画！
— “Once in ten years—a film the whole family should see together!”

同時上映
— “Co-feature / shown together.”

熊の楽園
— “Bear Paradise” (Bear Country).

「自然の驚異」シリーズ
— “‘Wonders of Nature’ series.”

アカデミー賞受賞作品
— “Academy Award–winning work.” (appears in the Bear Country section)

日本RKOラヂオ映画 提供
— “Presented by Japan RKO Radio Films.”

Condition Report

Overall condition: Excellent (unrestored).

Storage history: the poster was stored flat for approximately 25 years in a custom-made poster cabinet, supporting its exceptionally strong overall presentation.

Condition details: colours remain crisp and vibrant with strong contrast; the gradient field presents beautifully. Light, normal age-appropriate toning is limited to the verso (as expected for Showa paper). Overall presentation is fresh, bright, and frame-ready.

Please review the provided photos (front and back)—they show the exact poster offered.