“Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack” / 「機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア」, Original Japanese Kanazawa City Fire Department Promotional Nakazuri Poster 1988, Rare B3 Size (36 × 52 cm) J273

This is an original Japanese B3 nakazuri promotional poster produced in 1988 for a public fire-prevention campaign issued by the Kanazawa City Fire Department / 金沢市消防本部, in collaboration with the theatrical release of Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack / 「機動戦士ガンダム 逆襲のシャア」.

Designed to hang inside Japanese railway carriages, this highly unusual municipal tie-in combines spectacular RX-93 ν Gundam artwork with a campaign encouraging the prevention of vehicle and vessel fires.

It was never intended for general retail sale and is substantially rarer than the standard theatrical posters produced for the film.

Film background

Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack marked the first original theatrical feature in the Gundam franchise and the cinematic culmination of the long rivalry between Amuro Ray and Char Aznable.

Set in the Universal Century year 0093, the film follows Char’s return as leader of Neo Zeon. Convinced that humanity must abandon Earth in order to evolve, he plans to trigger a catastrophic nuclear winter by dropping the asteroid Axis onto the planet.

Amuro, now serving with the Londo Bell task force, pilots the newly developed RX-93 ν Gundam in a final attempt to stop him.

The film was written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Haruhiko Mikimoto, mechanical designs by Yutaka Izubuchi, and music composed by Shigeaki Saegusa.

The principal Japanese voice cast includes:

Tōru Furuya as Amuro Ray
Shūichi Ikeda as Char Aznable
Maria Kawamura as Quess Paraya
Nozomu Sasaki as Hathaway Noa
Koichi Yamadera as Gyunei Guss

Released in Japan on 12 March 1988, the film remains one of the defining works of the Universal Century timeline.

Public-safety campaign

This poster advertises Vehicle and Vessel Fire Prevention Week, held from:

20–26 March 1988

The campaign began shortly after the film’s theatrical opening, allowing the Kanazawa City Fire Department to use the new Gundam release as an eye-catching way to communicate a civic safety message.

Municipal and public-agency collaborations of this type were produced only in limited numbers for temporary display. Most were discarded when the relevant campaign ended, making surviving examples particularly difficult to find.

Poster design

The left two-thirds of the poster are dominated by a dramatic painted image of the RX-93 ν Gundam.

The mobile suit stands in a powerful frontal pose, holding its illuminated beam sabre in one hand and its shield in the other. Brilliant yellow electrical surges envelop the armour, separating the white, black, red, and metallic components from the dark green and blue background.

The lightning-like energy creates a visual connection between the film’s futuristic combat imagery and the fire-prevention campaign’s urgent warning.

The white vertical text at lower left reads:

「この地球から
みんなで火災を
追放しよう！」

Translated:

“Let us all drive fire from this Earth!”

The wording cleverly adapts the film’s planetary stakes to the practical message of preventing real-world fires.

The right side carries the principal civic slogan:

「防ごう！
なくそう！
車両船舶火災」

Translated:

“Prevent them! Eliminate them! Vehicle and vessel fires.”

The black date panel reads:

「3月20日～3月26日」

Translated:

“20 March–26 March.”

At lower right appears the theatrical release logo:

「機動戦士ガンダム
逆襲のシャア」

The accompanying text announces:

「春休み
松竹系公開
劇場オリジナル最新作」

Translated:

“Spring holiday Shochiku theatrical release—the latest original feature film.”

The white box beneath the Gundam artwork identifies the issuing authority:

「金沢市消防本部」

Translated:

“Kanazawa City Fire Department.”

The combination of a major anime release, municipal public-safety messaging, and dedicated train-car advertising makes this a highly distinctive piece of late-1980s Japanese promotional design.

Format and rarity

This is a Japanese B3 nakazuri poster, measuring approximately:

36.4 × 51.5 cm / 14.3 × 20.3 inches

Nakazuri posters were suspended from the ceilings of commuter trains for brief advertising periods. Because they were exposed to frequent handling and routinely removed and discarded, comparatively few survive—especially municipal tie-ins connected to major anime properties.

For collectors of Gundam, Universal Century animation, Japanese railway advertising, municipal campaign posters, and 1980s anime ephemera, this is an exceptionally rare crossover item.

Condition

Very Good condition. The poster retains strong yellow, green, blue, red, and white colour, clear painted detail, readable campaign text, and very good overall display impact.

The reverse shows corresponding crease lines, scattered light staining and soiling, and further signs of age-related handling.

Despite these points, the poster remains complete and displays strongly.

Reference: J273.

Please review both photographs carefully, including the reverse, as they show the exact poster and its condition.

This is an original Japanese B3 nakazuri promotional poster issued by the Kanazawa City Fire Department in 1988, not a reproduction or reprint.

It is approximately 38 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.