“Pinocchio” (ピノキオ), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1952, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (51.5 × 72.8 cm / approx. 51 × 73 cm) (G)

A landmark 1952 Japanese first-release B2 for Disney’s Pinocchio—one of the studio’s most beloved titles and a cornerstone of feature animation. Produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released in the United States in 1940 (via RKO Radio Pictures), Pinocchio is Disney’s second feature-length animated film, celebrated for its craft, emotional reach, and musical legacy.

For collectors, this sheet is a true post‑war Japanese Disney rarity: an unusually clean, graphic B2 built on vast white space, dominated by towering vermilion ピノキオ title typography and an oversized, luminous portrait of Pinocchio—anchored by the period distribution line 日本RKOラヂオ映画 配給 (Japan RKO Radio Films—Distributed). Examples are exceptionally hard to source even within Japan, and this is among the rarest Disney posters we have handled.

Sourced from a private collection in Japan, this is an exceptionally scarce survivor—made even more compelling by its outstanding state of preservation and museum‑standard conservation. Many of our pieces are sourced privately across Japan through long-standing relationships with dealers and collectors.

Date & Japanese Theatrical Release

Pinocchio first opened internationally in 1940, and Japan’s first theatrical release followed in the early post‑war period: 17 May 1952, distributed by RKO’s Japan branch (as also reflected in the poster’s footer credit).

The era is important: Japan’s cinema culture was rapidly re‑engaging with major imported works, and Disney’s prestige features were arriving as “event” releases—films positioned not as short cartoons, but as full-scale, premium entertainment.

This listing is consistent with contemporary Japanese framing often associated with the title:

• ピノキオ／1940年封切 — “Pinocchio / Originally released in 1940”

• 名曲「星に願いを」 — highlighting the famous song “When You Wish Upon a Star”

• 日本初公開は1952年…配給 — noting the 1952 Japanese first release and RKO distribution

Japanese-language dubbing is documented for later releases (notably a 1959 version), so the 1952 first-run engagement is widely understood to have been presented in the original language with Japanese subtitles, consistent with period practice for many imported films.

The Film & Its Place in Disney’s Legacy

Pinocchio remains one of Disney’s most revered achievements—an adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s classic tale, directed by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske, and often cited as a benchmark for character animation, atmosphere, and musical storytelling.

Its institutional recognition is definitive:

• Academy Awards (13th ceremony): Winner, Music (Original Score) and Winner, Music (Original Song) for “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

• The song became closely identified with Disney’s brand identity in subsequent decades.

• Selected for the U.S. National Film Registry (1994), reflecting enduring cultural and historical significance.

• Ranked #2 on AFI’s 10 Top 10 (Animated Film) list—an authoritative placement among the most important American animated features.

For Japanese collectors, the appeal compounds: this B2 captures the precise moment Pinocchio entered Japan’s theatrical landscape—an early‑1950s arrival that helped cement Disney feature animation as prestige cinema in the domestic marketplace.

Design Notes

Graphic minimalism with monumental scale: Unlike many international campaigns built around busy scene montages, this B2 embraces a strikingly open white field—making the central illustration feel larger, cleaner, and more modern than its era suggests.

Iconic “portrait” Pinocchio: Pinocchio is rendered at imposing scale with a soft, airbrushed finish—bright-eyed, warm, and inviting—framed as the emotional center of the film rather than a plot moment.

Character “peek-in” frieze: A lively cast of supporting figures leans into the composition from above, creating an immediate sense of story and menace/humor—an elegant solution that adds narrative energy without cluttering the sheet.

Jiminy Cricket as a visual signature: Placed with theatrical flair, Jiminy functions like a “seal” of musical storytelling—quietly echoing the film’s most famous tune and conscience theme.

Japanese title impact: The massive vertical ピノキオ in rich vermilion reads like a sculpted object—an unmistakably Japanese typographic statement that balances the illustration’s softness with bold mid‑century graphic power.

Text translations (including small-print line)

• ピノキオ — “Pinocchio”

• 長篇色彩絵物語 — “Feature‑length color picture story” (a prestige positioning line)

• ウォルト・ディズニー作品 — “A Walt Disney work / Walt Disney production”

• 溢れる詩情と人間の楽しい夢を湛えた ウォルト・ディズニー畢生の傑作!! — “Filled with overflowing poetic feeling and humanity’s joyful dreams—Walt Disney’s life’s masterpiece!!”

• 日本RKOラヂオ映画 配給 — “Distributed by Japan RKO Radio Films”

• Small-print (lower right): 大日本印刷株式会社印刷 — “Printed by Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.”

Disney, RKO, and Japan’s Post‑War Reception

The RKO branding here is more than decorative: it is an historical fingerprint of Disney’s feature distribution era, aligning with the period when Disney’s animated features circulated internationally under RKO banners.

In Japan, cultural-history scholarship notes that from around 1950 onward, audiences encountered a concentrated wave of Disney color animation (including previously unseen works), and that this exposure had a visible impact—both on critics’ expectations and on the ambitions of Japan’s emerging animation studios in the 1950s.
Within that context, Pinocchio’s 1952 arrival sits squarely inside the formative moment when Disney feature animation was being received and evaluated as a major cinematic reference point in Japan.

Condition Report

Overall condition: Excellent / close to near mint (professionally conserved and backed).

This poster has been professionally conserved and backed with traditional Japanese washi to stabilize the sheet for long‑term preservation and display. Japanese conservation practice commonly emphasizes safe materials and reversibility—frequently using washi (often kōzo-fiber papers) and wheat starch paste precisely because these methods are stable and can be undone by future conservators if needed. In practice, this museum‑standard approach typically involves thin, sympathetic Japanese papers and carefully prepared paste to reinforce and support the original sheet while keeping it flexible rather than brittle—resulting in a flatter, stronger poster that still respects the original paper.

Storage note: This example was stored flat and never folded, a major factor in its unusually fresh appearance for an early‑1950s working theatrical sheet.

Condition details: Colours remain richly saturated with strong contrast; the white field is clean and the overall presentation is exceptionally crisp. Light, normal age‑appropriate toning is confined primarily to the verso (as expected for period paper). Overall presentation is vibrant and frame‑ready. Please review the provided photos (front and back)—they show the exact poster offered.