“My Neighbor Totoro” (となりのトトロ), Original Japanese Awards Campaign Movie Poster 1989, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) Q74
This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1989 for the awards campaign of My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and featuring key voice performances by Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Hitoshi Takagi, and Shigesato Itoi. It is not the standard 1988 first-release B2, but the scarcer award-variant from the film’s original theatrical era, identifiable by the vertical yellow awards text printed along the left side.
Why this example matters
This design is known to collectors as the “Ocarina” / “Flute” style, and it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and prestigious Totoro posters from the original release period. Printed after the film’s extraordinary critical success, it is significantly rarer than the standard 1988 release posters and has long been prized by collectors of early Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki material.
The yellow text at left records the film’s remarkable awards sweep, including major recognition from the Mainichi Film Concours, the Kinema Junpo Best Ten, the Animage Anime Grand Prix, and the Japan Anime Awards. This variant marks the point at which Totoro moved from beloved new release to modern classic.
Poster design
Unlike the more familiar bus-stop poster, this design has a softer, more intimate, almost sketchbook-like quality. The image appears to draw on Miyazaki’s concept-art sensibility, using delicate linework and a watercolour-and-pencil aesthetic rather than a harder cel-animated finish. Totoro sits on a camphor tree branch beneath a full moon, apparently playing an ocarina, while Satsuki and Mei sit beside him in a scene of extraordinary calm and wonder.
The vertical line at upper right — often translated as “These creatures may still be in Japan. Probably.” — adds to the poster’s sense of folklore and quiet mystery. It is an exceptionally lyrical design, and for many collectors it is among the finest visual statements ever made for the film.
Condition
Excellent. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale. The poster presents beautifully overall, with fresh colour, strong paper quality, and a very clean reverse. There is only light age-related handling and very minor storage wear consistent with an authentic vintage theatrical poster, but nothing that detracts from the overall front presentation.
It is over 37 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
