“Dreams” (夢), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1990, Akira Kurosawa / Steven Spielberg, B1 Size (72.8 × 103 cm) JA41

This is an original Japanese B1 theatrical poster produced for the 1990 release of Akira Kurosawa’s Dreams. Measuring approximately 72.8 × 103 cm, this large format gives the film’s rainbow landscape and expressive Japanese calligraphy considerable presence.

Film background

Built around eight vignettes inspired by Kurosawa’s dreams and Japanese folklore, Dreams moves between childhood wonder, wartime memory, artistic imagination, and concern for the natural world. Steven Spielberg served as executive producer, while Martin Scorsese appears as Vincent van Gogh in the episode exploring the world of the painter’s work.

The film opened in Japan on 25 May 1990, distributed by Warner Bros. Its imagery reflects Kurosawa’s enduring interest in painting, colour, and the relationship between people and their surroundings.

Poster design

The upper portion features the memorable landscape from “Sunshine Through the Rain”: a small boy standing among vivid wildflowers, facing a distant rainbow beneath dark mountain clouds. The contrast between the tiny figure and the expansive valley gives the composition both intimacy and scale.

Vertical white lettering credits Akira Kurosawa along the left and Steven Spielberg along the right. These restrained credits frame the landscape while allowing its flowers, mountains, and changing light to remain the focus.

Below, the enormous black brush-calligraphy title 夢 dominates an off-white field. The delicate blue English title, “DREAMS,” provides a quieter counterpoint, with the production credits and Warner Bros. branding completing the presentation.

About Japanese B1 posters

Japanese B1 posters, measuring approximately 72.8 × 103 cm, have roughly twice the surface area of a standard B2. Here, the larger sheet gives particular impact to the panoramic landscape and oversized calligraphy, making it an impressive format for framed display.

Collecting significance

An appealing piece for collectors of Akira Kurosawa, Japanese cinema, and film-poster design. Its combination of photographic landscape and bold calligraphy captures the visual character of one of Kurosawa’s most personal films.

Condition

Good+. Previously folded, with a visible horizontal fold, extensive diagonal creasing, and areas of pronounced paper crumpling. There are surface scuffs and visible ink breaks along some creases, together with edge wear, small tears, light marks, and old tape on the reverse.

These condition issues have been taken into consideration when pricing the poster. The colours remain strong and the overall composition is striking. It remains presentable when framed, although the creases and surface wear will still be visible on closer inspection.

Please review all photographs, including the reverse and detail images, as they show the exact poster for sale and form an important part of the condition description.

It is over 36 years old!

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.