“KIRIN LAGER BEER × HARRISON FORD” (1993) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B3 NAKAZURI (TRAIN HANGING) ADVERTISING POSTER – “MR. BEER” CAMPAIGN (RAIL DISPLAY / 非売品)
Extremely Rare | In‑Train/Subway Hanging Ad (Not for Sale) | First Issue 1993 | 36 × 51 cm (B3)
This is an original Japanese B3 nakazuri poster printed in 1993 for Kirin Lager Beer’s nationwide “Mr. Beer” campaign starring Harrison Ford. Kirin Lager is one of Japan’s oldest beer brands (first marketed in 1888; Kirin Brewery founded 1907), and beer demand exploded through Japan’s post‑war boom—context for the brand’s ’90s dominance.
Japan‑only design & credit
As is typical for ’90s rail advertising, the printer/agency is uncredited. This sheet was produced specifically as a nakazuri (中吊り) for hanging inside commuter trains and subway cars—非売品 material never sold to the public.
Poster design (what you see here)
Ford tilts the oversized bottle to pour a fresh glass at frame left; stark white studio background; prominent vertical calligraphy copy at right; lower edge carries the age‑restriction notice 「ビールは20歳になってから。」
Beer & celebrity in Japan
Kirin’s heritage stretches back to the Japan Brewery Company (1885) and the launch of German‑style lager under the Kirin name in 1888; Kirin Lager remains a flagship label.
Japan has long embraced celebrity endorsements: a study found 47% of Japanese TV ads in 1998 used celebrities (vs. ~20% in the U.S.), a phenomenon playfully echoed by Lost in Translation’s “Suntory Time.” Ford’s Kirin Lager commercials ran in the early ’90s—the same era as this poster—cementing the campaign’s pop‑culture pedigree.
About the nakazuri format (B3 & rarity)
Nakazuri are ceiling‑hung carriage inserts, commonly B3 (approx. 36 × 51 cm). They were swapped out quickly across rail networks and typically discarded—surviving examples in top condition are very rare.
Why this example is extraordinary (rarity & market)
Transit pieces suffered heavy handling and exposure. Finding this Harrison Ford nakazuri excellent—complete with full copy and period micro‑text—is exceptional.
Condition
Excellent. Rolled; vivid color; clean margins; no folds. Please review our detailed images.
It is over 30 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A rare, nostalgia‑rich 1993 Kirin Lager nakazuri starring Harrison Ford—a pristine rail‑display (非売品) survivor from Japan’s golden age of beer advertising.
