About Japan Poster Shop
🖼️ About Japan Poster Shop
From Tokyo’s hidden archives to your walls—authentic Japanese posters, expertly sourced.
📍 Our Story
Founded in Tokyo. Grown globally. Built on trust.
Since launching over 8 years ago in a modest 18 sqm warehouse in central Tokyo, Japan Poster Shop has grown into one of the largest Japanese poster galleries in the world. Today, we operate from a 200 sqm space in Shibuya and offer over 10,000 original vintage and contemporary Japanese posters, including more than 300 rare works by Tadanori Yokoo—the largest available selection worldwide.
Our collection spans prices from $100 to $50,000 USD, featuring museum-grade rarities including first-release Godzilla, Akira Kurosawa, Ghibli, James Bond, and Star Wars posters in formats scarcely seen on the market.
“We’ve had both the A and B style posters for the original 1954 Godzilla—the undisputed holy grail of Japanese movie posters.”
🎨 What We Offer
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Japanese Film Posters (Domestic & International versions)
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Anime & Studio Ghibli Posters
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Graphic Design & Contemporary Art Posters
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Ultra-Rare B0 Billboards and Chihoban Formats
Each item is theatre-used, original, and meticulously graded. Framing and international shipping available on request.
👤 Meet the Founder — Max Fujiwara-Lieven
Max Fujiwara-Lieven is a bilingual Anglo-Japanese former financier who turned a personal obsession with Japanese posters into a full-scale gallery business.
Born in Yoyogi-Uehara, raised in London, and educated in finance, Max worked at Mizuho Bank and on Europe’s largest urban development, Silvertown. After returning to Tokyo in 2016 and facing job disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, he launched Japan Poster Shop as a way to combine Japanese service culture with global accessibility.
“At the bank, my job title was ‘Sales & Marketing Manager’—but I also made the tea. That experience taught me humility, hustle, and attention to detail. All of which I now apply to this business.”
🇯🇵 Deep Roots in Japan’s Poster Network
To legally sell secondhand art in Japan, you must obtain a kobutsu-shomeisho license—which we proudly hold. This grants us access to the exclusive Union of Secondhand Bookstores, a tight-knit network of over 750 members, many of whom have been in operation since the 1920s.
We’ve built strong friendships with shop owners—many in their 60s and 70s—who now call us first when something rare surfaces. During COVID, we were honored to support struggling businesses by acquiring inventory when foot traffic disappeared.
“Some shops were wondering who this bearded young Japanese guy was, buying everything.”
🌍 Global Reach with Japanese Precision
We provide a "Japanese-style" service in perfect English:
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Fast, accurate communication
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Museum-grade grading & packaging
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Express global shipping via DHL (next business day dispatch)
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Certificate of Authenticity with every purchase
🏆 Rarities in Our Collection
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Godzilla (1954 & 1955) – Style A & B, Chihoban editions
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Dr. No / From Russia With Love / Goldfinger – Only known billboards in existence
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Seven Samurai (Teaser Poster) – c.10x rarer than the original release poster
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Empire Strikes Back (Withdrawn Concept Art) – ~12 known copies
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2001: A Space Odyssey B0 – Ultra-scarce size and format
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The Hidden Fortress (1958) – Two-panel, only 2 known copies, inspiration for Star Wars
✨ Featured In
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YouTube Viral Video – Linenbacking of our original Godzilla 1954 poster
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National Film Archive of Japan – Our Dr. No James Bond billboard was centerpiece of their exhibition
🛒 Start Your Collection
Whether you're a seasoned collector or a new admirer of Japanese design, we invite you to explore our catalog. Add a piece of cinematic history to your space—and own something that won’t come around again.
“We add class and character to your environment with our original Japanese posters.”
📦 Always Original. Never Reprint.
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No reproductions
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No reprints
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Just the real thing
🧾 Certificate of Authenticity included with every order.
