This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1969 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Once Upon a Time in the West, Sergio Leone’s monumental Western masterpiece. In Japan, the film was released under the strikingly direct title ウエスタン — “Western” — presenting the film not merely as another genre entry, but as the definitive Western itself.
Directed by Sergio Leone, with music by Ennio Morricone, the film stars Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards. Original Japanese posters for this title are highly collectible, and this first-release B2 is especially desirable for its powerful montage design, rich colour, and distinctive Japan-only title treatment.
Film background
Released internationally in 1968 and in Japan in 1969, Once Upon a Time in the West is widely regarded as one of the greatest Westerns ever made. Leone expanded the visual language he had developed in the Dollars Trilogy into something slower, grander, and more operatic: a meditation on revenge, violence, capitalism, myth, and the end of the Old West.
The film brings together four unforgettable archetypes: Charles Bronson as Harmonica, the mysterious avenger; Henry Fonda as Frank, cast against type as one of cinema’s most chilling villains; Claudia Cardinale as Jill McBain, the emotional centre of the film; and Jason Robards as Cheyenne, the outlaw caught between brutality and honour. Morricone’s score is inseparable from the film’s identity, giving each major character a musical signature and elevating the story into myth.
Poster design
This Japanese B2 uses a dramatic montage-style composition that captures the scale and intensity of Leone’s film. The upper section presents large portrait imagery of the principal characters, with Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and Claudia Cardinale arranged against a smoky, atmospheric backdrop. The design immediately foregrounds the film’s moral conflict and star power.
The central action scene evokes the film’s violent frontier world, with gunmen, dust, and movement staged across a wooden platform in classic Leone style. Beneath this, the English title ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST appears on a sign-like panel, while the massive Japanese title ウエスタン dominates the lower third in cracked stone-style lettering.
This Japanese title treatment is one of the poster’s most appealing features. Rather than translating the full poetic title, the Japanese release reduced it to “Western”, positioning Leone’s film as the ultimate expression of the genre. The result is bold, memorable, and unique to the Japanese campaign.
Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photos; they show the exact poster for sale.
This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1969 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 57 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
