Original Japanese Akira Movie & Manga Posters

Explore Japan Poster Shop’s exceptional collection of original Japanese Akira movie and manga posters, featuring rare theatrical artwork, historically significant promotional material and some of the most elusive surviving designs associated with Katsuhiro Otomo’s groundbreaking masterpiece.

First serialised in Young Magazine in 1982, Akira (アキラ) transformed the visual language of Japanese manga and science fiction. Otomo’s extraordinary illustrations, intricate urban landscapes and revolutionary approach to storytelling established the series as one of the most influential works in modern Japanese popular culture.

The release of Akira (1988), directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, marked a defining moment in the history of Japanese animation. Celebrated for its unprecedented technical ambition, extraordinary hand-drawn animation and dystopian vision of Neo-Tokyo, the film became an international landmark whose influence continues to be felt across cinema, animation, graphic design, fashion and contemporary art.

Our collection encompasses an extensive selection of original Japanese Akira theatrical posters, including celebrated B1 and B2 first-release designs, advance promotional material, alternative compositions and rare advertising variants associated with the original 1988 Japanese theatrical campaign.

Of particular significance are our holdings of exceptionally rare Akira manga promotional posters, produced in association with Kodansha, Young Magazine and the original publication of Otomo’s manga. These include scarce bookstore displays, magazine promotional material, limited-distribution advertising and unusual designs created during the original publication period.

Certain examples were never commercially available, having been produced exclusively for promotional campaigns, publishing initiatives or limited prize distributions. Original surviving examples are particularly desirable because many were intended for temporary display and were never preserved as conventional collectibles.

Our collection also includes material associated with the international publication and promotion of Akira, including the influential Marvel/Epic Comics and Kodansha editions, which played an important role in introducing Otomo’s work to audiences outside Japan.

Among the most significant pieces are rare original B1 theatrical posters, scarce Young Magazine promotional designs, large-format advertising, unused examples and historically important manga-related posters. Several designs are documented in specialist publications such as AKIRA CLUB, yet original surviving posters can be exceptionally difficult to encounter on the collectors’ market.

These objects represent far more than conventional film memorabilia. They document the extraordinary development of Akira from a revolutionary Japanese manga into an internationally influential work of cinema and visual culture, preserving an important chapter in the history of Japanese graphic art.

Japan Poster Shop has devoted considerable attention to sourcing, researching and cataloguing original Akira material through our specialist network in Japan, including examples acquired from private collections and off-market sources.

Every poster offered by Japan Poster Shop is an authentic original, carefully sourced in Japan and individually catalogued. We do not sell reproductions. All posters are accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, with worldwide DHL Express shipping available from our gallery in Tokyo.