“Golgo 13” (ゴルゴ13), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1973, Manga Illustration Variant, Ken Takakura, B2 Size (c. 51.5 × 72.8 cm) N269

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster produced for the 1973 first release of Golgo 13, directed by Junya Satō, starring Ken Takakura and distributed by Toei.

This striking manga illustration variant presents the character through the graphic vocabulary of Takao Saitō’s original series. An electric yellow background, monumental black portrait and richly coloured action montage create an exceptionally bold composition, bringing the manga’s dramatic intensity directly into the film’s theatrical advertising.

Film background

Released in Japan on 29 December 1973, Golgo 13 marked the first live-action adaptation of Takao Saitō’s manga, which began publication in Shogakukan’s Big Comic in 1968. Takakura stars as Duke Togo, the enigmatic professional assassin known as Golgo 13.

The production took the character into Iran, where an assignment to eliminate a criminal syndicate leader unfolds against an international backdrop. Location filming in Tehran, Isfahan and Persepolis, undertaken with the cooperation of the pre-revolutionary Iranian government, gives the film a distinctive historical setting.

The poster’s left margin identifies the collaboration:

「東映株式会社・イラン映画株式会社 提携作品」
“A production in association between Toei Co., Ltd. and Iran Film Co., Ltd.”

The screenplay is credited to Takao Saitō and K. Motomitsu, with cinematography by Masahiko Iimura. Satō and Takakura would subsequently reunite for The Bullet Train in 1975.

Poster design

A tightly cropped portrait of Duke Togo dominates the composition. Heavy black linework defines his furrowed brow, severe sideburns and narrowed eyes against a brilliant yellow field. The image captures the character’s impassive presence through the forceful contrasts associated with gekiga—dramatic Japanese comics.

Above, the enormous white title, outlined in crimson and backed by deep blue dimensional shadows, projects across the sheet. Red Ken Takakura star billing and the green Toei emblem anchor the upper margin.

A full-colour illustrated strip runs down the right side, bringing together a woman’s portrait, armed adversaries, helicopters, vehicles and violent confrontations. Its compressed sequence of scenes gives the poster the visual energy of a comic page, complementing the stillness of the central face.

The diagonal turquoise slogan reads:

「その正体は誰れも知らない！」
“Nobody knows his true identity!”

At lower left, a skeletal figure incorporated into the crimson Golgo 13 emblem adds a macabre finishing detail. Credits for Takao Saitō and Saito Production as the original manga creators appear near the lower-right corner.

Cultural significance

This illustrated design brings together Golgo 13’s manga origins and Ken Takakura’s first screen interpretation, making it particularly appealing to collectors of Japanese comics, Toei cinema and vintage graphic design.

Its imagery preserves the character’s drawn identity within a live-action release campaign, while the Japan–Iran production context places it within an unusual chapter of 1970s international filmmaking.

Condition

Excellent+. The poster retains vibrant colours, strong blacks and crisp illustrated detail, with particularly striking yellow, crimson and blue tones. The artwork presents exceptionally well. Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese theatrical poster from 1973.
It is not a reproduction or a modern reprint.

It is approximately 53 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.