"Astro Boy (鉄腕アトム / Tetsuwan Atomu)", Original Japanese “Residential Fire Prevention” Public‑Safety Poster c.1980`s, B2 Size (51 x 73cm) O251

ASTRO BOY (Tetsuwan Atomu) — “Residential Fire Prevention” Public‑Safety Poster
Japan, late Shōwa (c. late 1980s) 
Issuer: 住宅防火対策推進協議会 Council for the Promotion of Residential Fire‑Prevention Measures (with support from 日本宝くじ協会 Japan Lottery Association) — credit printed at top. © Tezuka Productions (lower right).

A scarce Astro Boy public‑education sheet promoting household fire safety. The green house‑and‑sun icon at the upper left is the official “Residential Fire Safety Mark” (住宅防火安心マーク)—a program mark used to highlight recommended residential fire‑prevention devices and outreach by Japan’s fire‑safety agencies.

Design

Tezuka’s heroes are cast as first responders: Astro Boy rockets across the page carrying his sister Uran from a burning modernist home while the human cast looks on in alarm. The image balances child‑friendly character art with a serious scene—smoke plumes, window flames and embers rendered with airbrushed effects—typical of late‑Shōwa public posters. Speech balloons anchor the safety messages (full translation below). The right margin carries a vertical reminder asking households to protect life from residential fires. The copyright © 手塚プロダクション confirms official use of Tezuka’s characters. For context, Astro Boy is the signature creation of Osamu Tezuka—its 1963 TV series is widely credited with establishing modern Japanese TV animation—hence his characters’ frequent use in national public‑service campaigns.

The issuing body (住宅防火対策推進協議会) continues to coordinate nationwide fire‑prevention outreach—booklets, DVDs and local campaigns—which aligns with the message and mark shown here.

Text — translation

• Title (red block letters): 住宅防火 — Residential Fire Prevention.

• Right vertical copy: 住まいの火災から命を守る〈くらし〉をしてますか。 — Are you living day‑to‑day in a way that protects lives from home fires?

• Left vertical near Atom: みんなで気をつけようね。 — Let’s all be careful together.

• Speech balloons, bottom (left → right):

  • お年寄りが心配じゃ。 — I worry about the elderly.

  • 逃げ遅れも恐いわ。 — Being late to escape is frightening, too.

  • 寝タバコは、危ないぞ。 — Smoking in bed is dangerous!

Rarity & significance

Original B2 safety posters using Astro Boy are seldom encountered; this is the first example of this specific design we have handled. 

This poster is in very good condition. Please refer to the imagery (front and back); these photos show the exact poster for sale.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.