Japan Poster Shop Returns to Christie’s New York — October 2026

In October 2026, Japan Poster Shop returned to Christie’s New York for the second edition of Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition. Following our participation in the inaugural March auction, the October consignment brought together original Japanese cinema posters, advertising material and original publishing artwork.

Seven of our ten lots sold at auction, including a first-release Japanese poster for Godzilla Raids Again (1955), a My Neighbor Totoro B1, Leiji Matsumoto’s large-format Mothra vs. Godzilla billboard, an Akira theatrical B2 and original Ultraman Ace cover artwork.

Key Sold Highlights

Selected results from Japan Poster Shop’s October 2026 consignment. Prices are in US dollars and include buyer’s premium, as published by Christie’s. Online Auction 25188, closed 22 October 2026.

From Early Godzilla to Studio Ghibli

The original Japanese B2 poster for Godzilla Raids Again was produced for the film's first release in 1955. Its distinctive composition combines dramatic monster imagery, cast portraits and bold red Japanese lettering. Christie’s catalogued the linen-backed poster with the provenance “Japan Poster Shop, Tokyo.”

The My Neighbor Totoro B1 offered a contrasting example of Japanese theatrical design. Featuring the familiar rainy bus-stop composition, the poster measures just over one metre in height and was displayed alongside other works associated with Japanese animation. This example was also catalogued with Japan Poster Shop provenance.

Artist-Designed Cinema Posters and Original Artwork

The Mothra vs. Godzilla billboard, designed by Leiji Matsumoto for the film's 1980 re-release, introduced a substantially different scale. Measuring approximately 1.8 metres across, its horizontal composition brought together kaiju cinema and Matsumoto's distinctive illustration. Prominently displayed at Christie's New York, the poster demonstrated the visual impact of large-format Japanese theatrical advertising.

The sold works also included an original Japanese theatrical B2 for Akira (1988), featuring Kaneda against the Tokyo cityscape, and Ultraman Ace (1978), original painted cover artwork catalogued by Christie's under Hiruta Mitsuru. Created for a comic published by Daitosha, the Ultraman work represented a different stage in the production of a published image: the original illustration rather than a printed poster.

Together, these works reflected different aspects of Japanese visual culture, from theatrical promotion and artist-designed poster campaigns to original artwork created for publication.

The Christie’s New York Exhibition

The accompanying exhibition at Christie's New York, held from 8–12 October 2026, brought together original Japanese posters, animation production material, illustrations and other objects associated with Japanese popular culture.

The installation highlighted the different formats represented in the sale. The large-scale Mothra vs. Godzilla billboard occupied a prominent wall, while the Godzilla Raids Again and King Kong vs. Godzilla posters were displayed alongside related material. The two Akira designs were exhibited together, and the large-format National × Star Wars advertising poster formed another distinctive part of the presentation.

Selected original Denjin Zaborger illustrations from our consignment were also mounted and exhibited alongside other works of Japanese animation and publishing art. The exhibition provided an opportunity to appreciate these original works and posters at their intended physical scale, beyond their reproduction in the auction catalogue.

A Second Christie’s Consignment

The October auction marked Japan Poster Shop's second participation in Christie's Anime Starts Here series in 2026. Together with our involvement in the inaugural March sale, the published catalogue entries, exhibition photographs and auction results provide a further documented record of original Japanese posters and artwork from our collection.

We would like to thank Christie's for the care and attention given to the cataloguing, preparation and exhibition of these works.

Trademark & Affiliation Note

This article is an independent editorial record of Japan Poster Shop's participation as a consignor in Christie's October 2026 auction, Anime Starts Here: Japanese Subculture Reimagines Tradition. Japan Poster Shop is an independent business and is not owned by, affiliated with or endorsed by Christie's. The Christie’s name and trademarks remain the property of their respective owners. Auction results are reproduced from Christie's published records. Exhibition photographs are credited to their respective rights holders and reproduced with permission where applicable.