Rare Original Japanese STB Tatekan Movie Posters (51 × 145 cm)

Explore Japan Poster Shop’s extensive specialist collection of rare original Japanese STB Tatekan movie posters, featuring exceptionally scarce theatrical advertising from some of the most celebrated films in Japanese and international cinema.

The STB Tatekan (立看) format, measuring approximately 51 × 145 cm (20 × 57 inches), is one of the most distinctive and collectible forms of vintage Japanese film advertising. Characterised by its exceptionally tall, narrow proportions, the format was designed for prominent vertical display in and around Japanese cinemas, often mounted on signboards to advertise current and forthcoming theatrical releases.

Unlike the standard Japanese B2 movie poster, STB Tatekan posters were produced for a specialised form of theatrical promotion, frequently in smaller quantities and for comparatively limited periods of display. Their unusual dimensions, temporary advertising purpose and vulnerability to damage have contributed to the scarcity of surviving original examples.

Japan Poster Shop has assembled an extensive collection of original STB Tatekan posters, encompassing hundreds of examples across Japanese cinema, classic Hollywood, European art-house filmmaking, science fiction, horror, samurai films and internationally celebrated theatrical releases.

Of particular significance are our holdings of rare Japanese first-release STB posters, including historically important examples associated with Akira Kurosawa, Kihachi Okamoto, Japanese period dramas, classic horror and major international productions. Our collection includes exceptional theatrical material for films such as The Sword of Doom, Horrors of Malformed Men and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, alongside many other scarce and seldom-seen Japanese designs.

The distinctive proportions of the Tatekan format encouraged dramatic vertical compositions, elongated illustrations, striking photographic montages and bold Japanese typography. These designs often differ considerably from standard theatrical posters, making them particularly desirable to collectors interested in the history of Japanese graphic design.

Many surviving examples retain authentic characteristics of their original theatrical use, including period folds, mounting marks, small pinholes or other signs of cinema display. Others have survived in remarkable unused condition. Particularly early STB posters, rare first-release designs and exceptional-condition examples can be extraordinarily difficult to acquire.

The impressive vertical dimensions of these posters make them exceptional display pieces when professionally framed, offering a distinctive visual presence rarely encountered in conventional film-poster formats.

Beyond their decorative appeal, original STB Tatekan posters represent important surviving artefacts of Japanese cinema history, theatrical exhibition and twentieth-century graphic design. The rarest examples are of considerable interest to serious private collectors, specialist archives and institutions.

Every poster offered by Japan Poster Shop is an authentic original, carefully sourced in Japan and individually catalogued. We do not sell reproductions. All posters are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, with worldwide DHL Express shipping available from our gallery in Tokyo.