“Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41” (女囚さそり 第41雑居房), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1972, Tōru Shinohara Illustrated Design, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) D238

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster produced for the 1972 release of Female Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41, directed by Shunya Itō and starring Meiko Kaji. This scarce illustrated design features artwork by Tōru Shinohara, creator of the original Sasori manga, whose name appears within the image at lower right.

Measuring approximately 51.5 × 72.8 cm, the poster brings together manga illustration, bold colour and Japanese exploitation cinema in a particularly memorable composition.

Film background

Released by Toei on 30 December 1972, Jailhouse 41 is the second film in the original Female Prisoner Scorpion series. Kaji returns as Nami Matsushima, the defiant prisoner known as Sasori—“Scorpion”—whose resistance to institutional brutality drives the story.

Following Nami and a group of fellow inmates beyond the prison walls, Itō combines revenge drama with surreal imagery, theatrical staging and expressive colour. Kaji’s restrained performance, defined by her unwavering gaze and economical gestures, gives the film its powerful centre.

Adapted from Shinohara’s manga, published in Shogakukan’s Big Comic, the film belongs to the early-1970s Toei cycle commonly associated with Pinky Violence: confrontational genre cinema exploring female rebellion, exploitation and corrupt authority.

Poster design

Shinohara depicts Nami in a torn blue-and-white prison uniform bearing the number 701. Her long hair sweeps across the black background, while tightly worked lines give her face, clothing and figure the dramatic intensity of gekiga illustration.

A gigantic crimson scorpion spreads behind her, its claws and curling tail visually identifying the heroine with her nickname. The combination of black, red and blue gives the image exceptional clarity, enclosed by a vivid cyan border.

Fragments of Japanese promotional copy surround the figure like dialogue and sound effects on a manga page. Repeated cries of “Escape!” reinforce the film’s prison-break premise.

Below the illustration, the banner announces:

「衝撃の話題作第2弾！」
“The sensational, much-discussed hit—Part Two!”

The angular yellow Sasori lettering accompanies the film’s Japanese title, with Meiko Kaji and Shunya Itō prominently credited at lower right.

Cultural significance

The involvement of the manga’s original creator as poster artist gives this design particular interest. It connects the film directly with its illustrated origins while presenting Nami as an emblem of defiance.

For collectors of Meiko Kaji, vintage manga and Japanese cult cinema, it is a distinctive original release design with considerable graphic impact.

Condition

Very Good+ / Excellent. The poster presents strongly, retaining rich colour and clear illustration detail. Small ppinholes are apparent around the margins, with scattered age-related marks and spotting on the reverse. Please review the photographs—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster from 1972.
It is not a reproduction or a modern reprint.

It is approximately 54 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.