{"product_id":"floating-weeds-浮草-ukigusa-original-release-japanese-movie-poster-1959-yasujiro-ozu-ultra-rare-b2-size-c-51-x-73cm-q302","title":"\"Floating Weeds\" (浮草, Ukigusa), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1959, Yasujirō Ozu, Ultra Rare, B2 Size (c. 51 x 73cm) Q302","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUKIGUSA \/ 浮草\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapan (Daiei), 1959\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal first-release Japanese theatrical poster (B2)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eColour-printed poster on paper, originally folded and subsequently stored flat\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA beautiful—and genuinely scarce—country-of-origin Japanese B2 for Yasujirō Ozu’s \u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e (\u003cem\u003eUkigusa\u003c\/em\u003e): his luminous 1959 colour masterpiece for Daiei and one of the defining achievements of his late career.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the kind of postwar Japanese theatrical paper that was rarely preserved with collectors in mind. B2 posters were supplied to cinemas as working publicity and generally discarded after a film’s engagement. Original first-release examples for canonical Ozu titles are consequently very difficult to obtain—especially with \u003cstrong\u003estrong colour, complete margins and such a remarkably fresh overall appearance\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis particular poster may never have been displayed. Although it was previously folded, the absence of obvious display-related wear in the exposed areas suggests that it may have been folded and then \u003cstrong\u003ecarefully stored flat for much of its life\u003c\/strong\u003e. This cannot be established with absolute certainty, but it would explain the poster’s exceptional preservation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“A superb piece of original Japanese cinema history: Ozu, Miyagawa and Daiei Color preserved in remarkably fresh first-release paper.”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey Facts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilm: \u003cstrong\u003eUkigusa (\u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e \/ 浮草)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirector: \u003cstrong\u003eYasujirō Ozu（小津安二郎）\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScreenplay: \u003cstrong\u003eKōgo Noda（野田高梧）and Yasujirō Ozu（小津安二郎）\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProducer: \u003cstrong\u003eMasaichi Nagata（永田雅一）\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCinematography: \u003cstrong\u003eKazuo Miyagawa（宮川一夫）\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStudio \/ Distributor: \u003cstrong\u003eDaiei（大映）\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease: \u003cstrong\u003e17 November 1959 (Japan)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRunning time: \u003cstrong\u003e119 minutes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoster format: \u003cstrong\u003eJapanese B2 — approximately 51.5 × 72.8 cm (20.25 × 28.7 in)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRarity and Market Context\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJapanese B2 posters were made to be used—not preserved\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 1950s Japan, B2 posters were functional cinema materials. They were commonly handled by theatre staff, displayed for a limited engagement and then discarded when the next programme arrived. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurviving first-release posters become particularly scarce when the film is an internationally celebrated work by a director such as Ozu. Public appearances of this exact \u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e B2 design are infrequent, and it surfaces only very occasionally. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy this title matters for collectors\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e occupies an exceptional position at the intersection of \u003cstrong\u003emajor auteur cinema, first-release Japanese paper, Daiei’s celebrated star system and landmark colour cinematography\u003c\/strong\u003e. It was Ozu’s only film for Daiei and his sole collaboration with Kazuo Miyagawa, the cinematographer renowned for his work on \u003cem\u003eRashomon\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eUgetsu\u003c\/em\u003e and many of the defining Japanese films of the postwar period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor collectors of Ozu, Japanese cinema or twentieth-century graphic design, an original 1959 country-of-origin B2 represents something fundamentally different from a later re-release, restoration or export poster. It is an artefact produced at the moment the film first entered Japanese cinemas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eYasujirō Ozu and the Status of Ukigusa\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOzu in full colour—at Daiei\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e is Ozu’s colour remake of his own 1934 silent film \u003cem\u003eA Story of Floating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e. The later version relocates the story to a sunlit seaside community and surrounds Ozu with leading Daiei performers, including \u003cstrong\u003eGanjirō Nakamura II, Machiko Kyō, Ayako Wakao and Hiroshi Kawaguchi\u003c\/strong\u003e, alongside familiar Ozu collaborators such as \u003cstrong\u003eHaruko Sugimura and Chishū Ryū\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt was the only film Ozu made for Daiei rather than his customary studio, Shochiku. That change gave the production a distinctive atmosphere while leaving Ozu’s formal discipline intact. His low camera positions, carefully ordered interiors, frontal compositions and understated transitions are combined with the rich colour sensibility of Kazuo Miyagawa.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMiyagawa’s photography is central to the film’s reputation. The production was photographed in \u003cstrong\u003eAgfa colour\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the film is celebrated for its painterly control of red, yellow, green and blue. Ozu’s precise compositions and Miyagawa’s mastery of light and colour produced what has frequently been described as one of the most visually beautiful films in Ozu’s body of work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe film: a masterwork of adult emotion\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA travelling theatre troupe arrives in a small seaside town. Its ageing leader, Komajūrō, quietly renews contact with former lover Oyoshi and their adult son Kiyoshi, who has been raised without knowing that Komajūrō is his father. When Komajūrō’s current mistress, Sumiko, discovers the relationship, jealousy leads her to send the younger actress Kayo to seduce Kiyoshi.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom this deceptively simple premise, Ozu constructs a deeply human drama about \u003cstrong\u003eperformance, parenthood, jealousy, ageing, concealed identity and emotional responsibility\u003c\/strong\u003e. The title’s “floating weeds” evoke the itinerant actors themselves—people without permanent roots, carried from place to place by their profession and circumstances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe film contains some of Ozu’s most powerful emotional confrontations, including the celebrated sequence in which Komajūrō and Sumiko argue from opposite sides of a rain-filled street. Yet even at its most dramatic, the film remains governed by Ozu’s restraint, visual precision and sympathy for the compromises of ordinary life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe film’s reputation has continued to grow internationally. Its restoration was produced from a \u003cstrong\u003e4K scan of the original negative\u003c\/strong\u003e, and the restored version received a major presentation at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2018. Today, \u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e is widely regarded as \u003cstrong\u003eone of Ozu’s finest colour films and one of the great achievements of postwar Japanese cinema\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe B2 Format\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eB2 is the classic Japanese theatrical poster format, measuring approximately \u003cstrong\u003e51.5 × 72.8 cm\u003c\/strong\u003e. It was the principal single-sheet size displayed inside cinemas, in entrance areas and in other promotional locations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts apparent everydayness is precisely why original examples have become scarce. These were practical advertising objects rather than limited-edition art prints. A genuine first-release B2 for \u003cem\u003eFloating Weeds\u003c\/em\u003e, surviving complete and with colour of this quality, is the kind of piece that can anchor a serious collection of Japanese cinema paper.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePoster Design: Daiei-Era Colour Elegance Meets Ozu Iconography\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis poster is exceptional not only for the importance of the film but for the intelligence and visual impact of its design:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePortrait-led composition:\u003c\/strong\u003e The principal colour tableau presents \u003cstrong\u003eHiroshi Kawaguchi, Machiko Kyō and Ayako Wakao\u003c\/strong\u003e against the architecture and blue-grey sky of the seaside town. Kyō and Wakao wear patterned yukata and woven travelling hats, immediately evoking the film’s world of itinerant performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMonumental calligraphic title:\u003c\/strong\u003e The title \u003cstrong\u003e「浮草」\u003c\/strong\u003e dominates the lower-left in sweeping dark-magenta brush lettering. It functions simultaneously as the film’s title and as a bold piece of Japanese graphic design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOzu and Daiei colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e The red vertical director credit \u003cstrong\u003e「小津安二郎監督作品」\u003c\/strong\u003e balances the large title, while \u003cstrong\u003e「大映カラー \/ 総天然色」\u003c\/strong\u003e announces the film’s full-colour presentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntegrated character imagery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Smaller full-length portraits of \u003cstrong\u003eGanjirō Nakamura and Hitomi Nozoe\u003c\/strong\u003e appear within the lower section, linking the large photographic tableau with the billing and production credits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudio-era cast typography:\u003c\/strong\u003e The cast is arranged in a dense, carefully balanced block of Japanese characters, giving the lower section a distinctive graphic rhythm. The printed billing includes \u003cstrong\u003eGanjirō Nakamura, Machiko Kyō, Ayako Wakao, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Haruko Sugimura, Hitomi Nozoe, Chishū Ryū, Kōji Mitsui, Haruo Tanaka, Yōsuke Irie, Hikaru Hoshi, Mantarō Ushio, Kumeko Urabe, Toyo Takahashi and Mutsuko Sakura\u003c\/strong\u003e, among others.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eText and Translation Notes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBelow are key on-sheet texts and their English meanings:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMain title: \u003cstrong\u003e浮草\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Floating Weeds” (\u003cem\u003eUkigusa\u003c\/em\u003e)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTop tagline: \u003cstrong\u003e最高の感動と溢れる詩情！小津芸術の華ひらく！\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Supreme emotion and overflowing lyricism—Ozu’s art bursts into bloom!”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFestival note: \u003cstrong\u003e芸術祭参加作品\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Arts Festival participating work”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDirector credit: \u003cstrong\u003e小津安二郎監督作品\u003c\/strong\u003e — “A film directed by Yasujirō Ozu”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eColour-process billing: \u003cstrong\u003e大映カラー \/ 総天然色\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Daiei Color \/ Full natural colour”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProduction credit: \u003cstrong\u003e製作 永田雅一\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Produced by Masaichi Nagata”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eScreenplay credit: \u003cstrong\u003e脚本 野田高梧・小津安二郎\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Screenplay by Kōgo Noda and Yasujirō Ozu”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCinematography credit: \u003cstrong\u003e撮影 宮川一夫\u003c\/strong\u003e — “Cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVerso (Reverse): Clean, Carefully Preserved Paper\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reverse is unusually clean for a Japanese theatrical poster of this age. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster was previously folded and has subsequently been stored flat. Given the exceptionally clean verso, strong margins and lack of obvious display wear in the visible areas, it is \u003cstrong\u003equite possible that the poster was never displayed\u003c\/strong\u003e and was instead folded for distribution before being carefully preserved. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eExcellent\u003c\/strong\u003e, especially for an original first-release Japanese B2 from 1959.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster retains \u003cstrong\u003estrong, well-preserved colour, excellent photographic definition, complete margins and an exceptionally clean overall presentation\u003c\/strong\u003e. The blue-grey sky, patterned costumes, magenta title lettering, red director credit and Daiei colour billing remain vivid and visually impressive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster was originally folded and has subsequently been stored flat. The original horizontal and vertical fold lines remain visible, together with minor associated crease texture, light handling impressions and very slight age-related wear. There is mild natural toning and front-image show-through on the reverse, with a small period pencil notation near the upper-left corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIts condition strongly suggests \u003cstrong\u003every careful long-term storage\u003c\/strong\u003e and is exceptionally attractive for a poster now more than \u003cstrong\u003e66 years old\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease review the provided photographs carefully—they show the \u003cstrong\u003eexact poster offered for sale and form part of the condition description\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is \u003cstrong\u003enot a reproduction or a reprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Authenticity\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Authenticity included.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57159556202874,"sku":null,"price":2250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/wall-shelf-with-ornaments-2026-08-12T192015.210.jpg?v=1786530228","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/floating-weeds-%e6%b5%ae%e8%8d%89-ukigusa-original-release-japanese-movie-poster-1959-yasujiro-ozu-ultra-rare-b2-size-c-51-x-73cm-q302","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}