“THE GODFATHER” (1972) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B0 BILLBOARD POSTER – ART BY S. NEIL FUJITA (LOGO) Extremely Rare | Massive Format | First Release | 99 × 157 cm
“THE GODFATHER” (1972) – ORIGINAL JAPANESE B0 BILLBOARD POSTER – ART BY S. NEIL FUJITA (LOGO)
Extremely Rare | Massive Format | First Release | 99 × 157 cm
This is an original Japanese billboard poster printed for the first Japanese theatrical release of The Godfather (ゴッドファーザー), Francis Ford Coppola’s epoch‑making Mafia saga from Mario Puzo’s novel, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton; score by Nino Rota. A box‑office phenomenon and a cornerstone of world cinema, the film won Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 45th Academy Awards and is widely cited among the greatest films ever made (AFI ranks it #2).
About the Japanese B0 billboard (rarity & use)
The B0 is Japan’s largest standard theatrical poster, produced for exterior displays and lobby billboards—items of pure advertising utility, printed in small numbers and typically discarded after the run. Sizes vary by printer and venue; B0s are commonly c. 103 × 145 cm and were designed to dominate a wall. Survival rates are extremely low compared with the ubiquitous B2 size. This example is the scarcer tall variant measuring 99 × 157 cm.
Printed with the Eirin (映倫) censorship seal at lower right—standard on Japanese theatrical posters after 1964—this piece carries the hallmarks of an authentic, period‑issued board.
Why this example is extraordinary (rarity & market)
We have handled just three Godfather B0 billboards in nearly a decade—the only three we’ve ever seen offered for sale. One was not in strong condition; this poster is in mint condition: never displayed, never folded, never exposed to light, and carefully stored for over half a century. We’ve supplied extensive, close‑up imagery that underscores the astonishing state of the paper and inks. An ultra‑rare B0 billboard combined with mint condition is an almost impossible pairing for this title.
Poster design
Black field and monumental typography announce the film with the marionette‑hand logotype by S. Neil Fujita—the Japanese‑American designer who created the iconic mark for Puzo’s 1969 novel, later adopted by Paramount for the film’s key art. The logo’s puppet strings, hovering above the title, visualize the drama’s theme of power and control.
A cool, ghosted left‑profile of Brando floats like a cameo in steel‑blue, while a vertical column of film stills threads down the center: Sonny’s ferocious street beating, Luca Brasi’s garroting in crimson light, Don Vito’s tuxedoed study with red rose, the Corleone wedding tableau, and an intimate Michael‑and‑Apollonia kiss. A secondary pair of stills below the huge white ゴッドファーザー title shows a formal Corleone family line‑up (Michael in Military dress)—images that together chart the film’s arc from pageantry to personal fate. The deep blacks and ink‑heavy midtones echo Gordon Willis’s celebrated shadow‑driven cinematography—the work that earned him the sobriquet “Prince of Darkness.”
Crisp Japanese credits flank the art (製作アルバート・S・ラディ / 監督フランシス・フォード・コッポラ / 音楽ニーノ・ロータ), with distributor CIC credited at right—faithful to first‑release materials.
Cultural impact
The Godfather redefined the gangster film—elevating the genre with operatic family drama, moral reckoning, and star‑making turns by Al Pacino and company. Its legacy continued with The Godfather Part II, where Robert De Niro’s young Vito Corleone performance won Best Supporting Actor, cementing the saga’s stature across two generations of American moviemaking. The trilogy’s influence and Coppola’s vision continue to shape how cinema portrays power, family, and organized crime.
Condition
Excellent/Mint (as close to near mint as possible). Rolled, never folded; deep, saturated blacks; clean margins; sharp corners; Eirin seal present. Please review the detailed imagery provided.
It is over 53 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A museum‑worthy opportunity to secure the definitive Japanese billboard for Coppola’s masterpiece—an ultra‑rare B0 in mint condition—uniting Fujita’s immortal logo, landmark imagery, and the film that set the standard for the Mafia genre and modern American cinema.
