“E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (E.T.), Original Japanese Cinema Promotional Poster c. 1982–83, Rare B3 Nakazuri Format, Romance-za Screening Details, Size (c. 51.5 × 36.4 cm) N119A

This is a rare original Japanese B3 nakazuri-format promotional poster for Steven Spielberg’s E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, retaining a period cinema panel with the local opening date, advance-ticket prices and theatre telephone number.

Measuring approximately 51.5 × 36.4 cm, this compact horizontal design combines the film’s celebrated imagery with a remarkably evocative record of its local promotion. An excellent time capsule of Japanese cinema advertising, it is particularly well suited to framing.

Film background

First released in Japan on 4 December 1982, E.T. tells the story of Elliott, a lonely boy who befriends an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film stars Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace and Drew Barrymore.

Its themes of friendship, childhood and separation are distilled into the poster’s central image: a human hand and an alien hand meeting in a luminous point of contact.

Cinema details and period display

The surviving white panel identifies Romance-za, with the telephone number 81-2132, matching the cinema in Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture. It announces a 12 March opening, followed by a prominent advance-ticket offer:

「前売券発売中　当店にあります」
“Advance tickets now on sale—available here.”

The advertised prices are ¥1,200 for adults and ¥1,100 for students. The panel also promotes an accompanying sticker, preserving another small detail of the original sales campaign.

These practical details give the poster its particular character. They show how the film’s national advertising imagery was adapted for a specific local cinema and advance-ticket outlet, connecting a worldwide phenomenon with everyday Japanese moviegoing.

Poster design

E.T.’s elongated hand reaches towards Elliott’s, their fingertips meeting in a bright starburst against a deep black background. The composition incorporates John Alvin’s iconic touching-fingers artwork, paired with a spacecraft emerging through illuminated clouds.

Golden beams descend towards tiny silhouetted figures along the horizon, contrasting human scale with the spectacle above. The white English title anchors the left side, while pale-blue Japanese copy addresses audiences across generations:

「かつて子供だった大人へ。そしてこれから大人になる子供たちへ。」
“To adults who were once children. And to children who will one day become adults.”

The cinema panel’s red and black lettering on white provides a striking contrast to the atmospheric main image.

Cultural significance

Beyond its appeal as Spielberg memorabilia, this poster preserves the working details of a period film campaign: where audiences could see the film, when it opened locally and what advance admission cost.

Its compact B3 nakazuri format and surviving local advertising make it both an attractive display piece and a tangible record of Japanese cinema culture.

Condition

Excellent+. The poster retains strong colour, deep blacks and clear lettering, including the cinema information. Light handling creases, minor edge wear and gentle age-related toning are visible, particularly around the white promotional panel. The overall presentation is excellent, and the compact landscape format is ideal for framing.

Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original period Japanese promotional poster.
It is not a reproduction or a modern reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.