"Ken Takakura Retrospective – Toei Channel Special" (1999) – Original Japanese B2 Size Poster
高倉健特集 | 東映チャンネル放映告知 | Celebrating the Release of 鉄道員 (Poppoya)
A striking and minimalist original Japanese B2-size promotional poster for the 1999 Toei Channel retrospective of Ken Takakura (高倉健), Japan’s most iconic stoic screen hero. This elegant design was issued to commemorate the release of Poppoya (鉄道員, “The Railroad Man”) — Takakura’s late-career triumph — and to promote a curated month-long broadcast of his legendary filmography.
The poster features a powerful monochrome image of Takakura in traditional Japanese attire, walking barefoot with katana in hand — a visual echo of his archetypal roles as the quiet outsider, bound by honour and loss. A bold gold calligraphic brushstroke sweeps across the composition, anchoring the design with a sense of solemn motion and dramatic restraint.
The featured lineup (listed on the right side) includes Takakura’s major Toei works from the 1960s and ’70s, such as:
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Abashiri Prison (網走番外地, 1965)
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The Wolves (狼, 1971)
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Shōwa Zankyō-den series (昭和残侠伝, 1966–1970)
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A Distant Cry from Spring (遙かなる山の呼び声, 1980)
This poster was distributed in limited numbers to promote Toei Channel’s exclusive broadcast campaign in May 1999, making it a rare artifact of Japan’s reverence for Takakura as both actor and national icon.
It is over 26 years old!
This poster is in excellent condition. Please refer to the imagery (both front and back) as this is the exact poster that is for sale.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
L238