“Akira” (アキラ), Ultra-Rare Original Japanese Bookstore Display Poster / Young Magazine Promotional “’88年夏 アニメ映画公開決定！— PART 4［ケイ］” Speed Poster (B2 Variant Cut Vertically) 1987, Size (c. 72.6 × 34.5 cm) O293
This is an original Japanese bookstore display poster issued by Kodansha to advertise AKIRA PART 4 (the fourth tankōbon). Produced for Young Magazine point‑of‑sale in 1987, it is the scarce long format—vertically for bookshop display.
Ultra‑rare: acquired by Japan Poster Shop from a dedicated Katsuhiro Otomo / Akira collector in Japan who assembled these over decades. Pieces of this type are virtually never offered for sale. This design is reproduced in the official AKIRA CLUB compendium.
Across the top the sheet shouts: 「’88年夏 アニメ映画公開決定！」(Anime movie release confirmed for Summer ’88!). Flanking the upper vignette are the lines 「紀元二千二十年」 (Year 2020 AD) and 「大東京帝国誕生」 (Birth of the Great Tokyo Empire). Centered is the magenta bar “OTOMO KATSUHIRO — PART4［ケイ］”. At the foot, a bold band lists the sales specs: 「描きおろしカバー／巻頭カラー8ページ／B5判400ページ／定価1,000YEN」, with the red burst 「絶賛発売中！」, Young Magazine / 講談社 marks, and the note 「アキラグッズが1,500人に当たるプレゼントつき！」.
Blank verso (as issued).
Akira (1988) is Katsuhiro Otomo’s epoch‑defining post‑apocalyptic, cyberpunk landmark—based on his manga that began in 1982 in Young Magazine. Its world‑building and animation reshaped anime and global pop culture; these mid‑’80s bookstore posters come from the manga era that built the phenomenon.
Poster design
The colossal AKIRA logotype in black anchors the sheet, slashed by the bright red kana アキラ. Above, a small tableau shows a child‑emperor on a throne amid ruin. The main image is a luminous AKIRA‑themed pinball playfield, glowing in brass and amber, packed with characters, targets and callouts—Otomo’s kinetic collage of Neo‑Tokyo rendered as an arcade machine. The pink PART 4 title block bridges the composition while the bilingual mix (English title with urgent Japanese sales copy) nails Young Magazine’s high‑impact graphic language.
Why collectors prize this example
Bookstore Speed poster tied directly to the 1987 tankōbon release of PART 4—far scarcer than theatrical or video‑shop material.
Printed in very small numbers for in‑store use; most were discarded—survivors are exceptionally rare.
Includes the Summer ’88 movie‑announcement strapline, placing it at the key moment just before the film.
From a long‑time Japanese Akira / Otomo collection—holy‑grail‑level material that is almost never on the market.
Details
Country: Japan
Year: 1987 (tankōbon PART 4 release; list price printed ¥1,000)
Type: Bookstore display poster / Young Magazine promotional “Speed” poster — B2 variant cut vertically
Size: c. 72.6 × 34.5 cm
Printed identifiers on sheet: Top strap 「’88年夏 アニメ映画公開決定！」; flanking text 「紀元二千二十年」／「大東京帝国誕生」; magenta bar “OTOMO KATSUHIRO — PART4［ケイ］”; foot copy 「描きおろしカバー・巻頭カラー8ページ・B5判400ページ・定価1,000YEN」; burst 「絶賛発売中！」; “Magazine / Young Magazine” logo; bottom note 「アキラグッズが1,500人に当たるプレゼントつき！」; publisher credit 講談社.
Condition
Excellent. Original folds (as issued) with light touch at the centre cross; minor handling and a few tiny surface specks/impressions consistent with age; edges clean; verso clean; colours strong and saturated. Please review the photos (front and back); they show the exact item.
It is 38 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
