“Ebirah, Horror of the Deep” (ゴジラ・エビラ・モスラ 南海の大決闘 / Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Great Duel in the South Seas), 1966 Japanese STB Tatekan Poster (First Release), Rare, STB Size (c. 51 × 145 cm) Q239

This is an original Japanese STB tatekan poster issued in Japan for Toho’s 1966 kaiju adventure Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Great Duel in the South Seas, known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and in the U.S. as Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster. Produced in the dramatic STB format—two B2 sheets designed to display together as one tall vertical theatre poster—it is a striking country-of-origin Godzilla piece from the mid-Shōwa period, created for maximum lobby impact. The format’s towering scale gives the design an imposing presence, with the huge red title, monster imagery, and human cast arranged as a full theatrical spectacle.

Important note on authenticity: there are modern reproductions and later reprints of classic Godzilla advertising in circulation—this example is 100% original first-release Japanese theatrical paper. It presents beautifully and retains the strong color, scale, and period surface character expected of genuine 1960s Toho display material. 

Film background
Released by Toho in 1966, Godzilla, Ebirah, Mothra: Great Duel in the South Seas was directed by Jun Fukuda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, and stands as the seventh film in the Godzilla series of the Shōwa era. The film marks a notable tonal shift for the franchise, moving away from the urban destruction and space-age settings of the preceding entries into a tropical island adventure involving shipwrecked youths, the terrorist organization Red Bamboo, the giant crustacean Ebirah, and the eventual intervention of Mothra. Originally developed from a concept intended for King Kong, the film has a looser, more adventure-driven rhythm, with Godzilla recast in a rugged island setting rather than as a city-stomping force. The cast includes Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, Hideo Sunazuka, Chōtarō Tōgin, Tōru Ibuki, Jun Tazaki, and the Pair Bambi as the Shobijin, giving the film its distinctive blend of kaiju action, island fantasy, and 1960s Toho adventure cinema.

Poster design
This STB is one of the great large-format Toho kaiju compositions of the period. The upper section is dominated by Mothra, looming out of a smoke-filled sky with enormous blue compound eyes, while the Shobijin appear at left in vivid red floral costumes. Below, the newly introduced monster Ebirah rises in the center of the composition, its spiny red claws and antennae cutting across the image as it confronts Godzilla in the surf. The poster’s left-side tagline announces the arrival of the “new vicious monster Ebirah” and promotes the “land, sea, and air” showdown between three giant monsters, a perfect summary of the film’s theatrical hook.

The typography is especially powerful: the huge red kanji title 「南海の大決闘」 runs vertically through the center, outlined in white and set against smoky browns, ocean blues, and tropical color accents. Along the right edge, the monster names 「ゴジラ・エビラ・モスラ」 appear in bold pink, yellow, and blue, adding a vivid pop-art counterpoint to the darker photographic monster imagery. The lower panel expands the adventure narrative, with Godzilla battling among crashing waves, military aircraft streaking through the scene, waterfalls and island terrain in the background, and the human cast arranged dramatically at the bottom. Kumi Mizuno’s islander image at lower right gives the poster one of its most recognizable visual anchors, while the armed cast and native islanders at lower left underline the film’s espionage-adventure subplot. The result is a dense, highly cinematic Toho design—part monster brawl, part tropical adventure, part 1960s action spectacle.

Rarity and condition
Japanese STB tatekan posters were produced for actual cinema display and were far less likely to survive intact than smaller standard formats. Because they were printed on two separate B2 sheets and displayed vertically in theatre lobbies, many were pasted, damaged, discarded, or separated after use. Complete first-release STB examples for major Godzilla titles are therefore genuinely difficult to find, and 1966 country-of-origin Ebirah paper is especially desirable within the Toho kaiju collecting field.

Condition is excellent (close to near mint) overall, with only light signs of handling. Colors remain strong, the image presents with impressive clarity, and the full two-panel format retains exceptional visual impact. Please inspect the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale. This is not a reproduction or reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.