“Ashita no Joe” (あしたのジョー), Original Japanese Promotional Poster c.1987 (Kodansha), B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O172

This is an original Japanese B2 promotional poster issued in the late 1980s by Kodansha for Ashita no Joe—the landmark boxing saga by Asao Takamori (Ikki Kajiwara) and Tetsuya Chiba. Publisher imprint and rights line are printed along the lower margin. Late-Shōwa promotional sheets for Ashita no Joe are highly collectible.

Film background
Set in Tokyo’s downtrodden quarter, orphaned drifter Joe Yabuki is discovered by ex-trainer Danpei and fights his way from juvenile hall bouts to the national stage. The series (1968–73) became a cultural phenomenon—spawning TV anime (1970–71; 1980–81), films, and enduring iconography around perseverance, class struggle, and the tragic rivalry with Rikishii.

Poster design
A dramatic, painterly monochrome-red composition: Joe fills the right field, eyes blazing as he bites down on his glove laces and tightens a worn training wrap—an image that distills grit and determination. Heavy brush textures wash the background, pushing the glossy highlights on Joe’s face and torso forward. Minimal typography confines itself to the fine copyright/publisher credit at lower edge—classic hallmarks of an authentic Kodansha shop/point-of-sale display with powerful wall presence.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.