{"product_id":"gappa-the-triphibian-monster-大巨獣ガッパ-daikyoju-gappa-1967-japanese-stb-tatekan-poster-first-release-ultra-rare-nikkatsu-kaiju-holy-grail-professionally-conserved-and-washi-backed-stb-size-c-51-145-cm","title":"“Gappa the Triphibian Monster” (大巨獣ガッパ \/ Daikyojū Gappa), 1967 Japanese STB Tatekan Poster (First Release), Ultra-Rare Nikkatsu Kaiju Holy Grail, Professionally Conserved and Washi-Backed, STB Size (c. 51 × 145 cm)","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"269\" data-end=\"988\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis is an \u003cstrong data-start=\"280\" data-end=\"320\"\u003eoriginal Japanese STB tatekan poster\u003c\/strong\u003e issued in Japan for Nikkatsu’s 1967 kaiju spectacular \u003cem data-start=\"375\" data-end=\"391\"\u003eDaikyojū Gappa\u003c\/em\u003e, known internationally as \u003cem data-start=\"418\" data-end=\"448\"\u003eGappa the Triphibian Monster\u003c\/em\u003e and on American television as \u003cem data-start=\"479\" data-end=\"514\"\u003eMonster from a Prehistoric Planet\u003c\/em\u003e. Produced in the dramatic STB format—\u003cstrong data-start=\"552\" data-end=\"638\"\u003etwo B2 sheets designed to display together as one towering vertical theatre poster\u003c\/strong\u003e—it is an exceptional country-of-origin piece from the first Japanese release. At approximately 145 cm (5 ft) tall, the composition has the monumental scale its subject demands, stacking multiple adult Gappas, the captured juvenile, a burning metropolis, military aircraft, Mt Fuji, the human cast and the colossal scarlet title into one wall-filling image.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"990\" data-end=\"1477\"\u003eMore than simply rare Nikkatsu advertising, this poster represents the studio’s extraordinary one-off expedition into the giant-monster genre. Nikkatsu promoted \u003cem data-start=\"1151\" data-end=\"1158\"\u003eGappa\u003c\/em\u003e as the first production from its special-effects monster unit, but no continuing kaiju series followed. The film consequently stands as the studio’s \u003cstrong data-start=\"1308\" data-end=\"1372\"\u003efirst and ultimately only full-scale Showa-era kaiju feature\u003c\/strong\u003e, making its original large-format paper especially significant to collectors of Japanese fantasy cinema.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1479\" data-end=\"1859\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1479\" data-end=\"1514\"\u003eImportant note on authenticity:\u003c\/strong\u003e modern reproductions and decorative reprints of classic Japanese kaiju imagery circulate widely. This example is \u003cstrong data-start=\"1628\" data-end=\"1695\"\u003e100% original first-release Japanese theatrical paper from 1967\u003c\/strong\u003e. Both original B2 sections are present and have been professionally conserved using the traditional Japanese washi support. It is \u003cstrong data-start=\"1819\" data-end=\"1858\"\u003enot a reproduction or later reprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1861\" data-end=\"2485\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1861\" data-end=\"1880\"\u003eFilm background\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"1880\" data-end=\"1883\"\u003eReleased by Nikkatsu on 22 April 1967, \u003cem data-start=\"1922\" data-end=\"1938\"\u003eDaikyojū Gappa\u003c\/em\u003e was made in colour and widescreen at the height of Japan’s mid-1960s monster boom. Nikkatsu was then renowned for its stylish youth, crime and action pictures, so its decision to enter a field dominated by Toho’s Godzilla films and Daiei’s Gamera series was an unusually ambitious change of direction. Rather than approaching the genre cautiously, the studio mounted a lavish special-effects production combining its established action personnel with elaborate miniature cities, military hardware, aerial sequences and three giant creature suits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2487\" data-end=\"2817\"\u003eThe film was directed by \u003cstrong data-start=\"2512\" data-end=\"2532\"\u003eHaruyasu Noguchi\u003c\/strong\u003e, with an original story and special effects by \u003cstrong data-start=\"2580\" data-end=\"2598\"\u003eAkira Watanabe\u003c\/strong\u003e, and a screenplay by \u003cstrong data-start=\"2620\" data-end=\"2657\"\u003eIwao Yamazaki and Ryūzō Nakanishi\u003c\/strong\u003e. The cast draws heavily from Nikkatsu’s own company of performers and includes \u003cstrong data-start=\"2737\" data-end=\"2816\"\u003eTamio Kawaji, Yōko Yamamoto, Yūji Odaka, Kōji Wada and a young Tatsuya Fuji\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2819\" data-end=\"3392\"\u003eThe story begins when a Japanese magazine expedition lands on the remote South Seas location of Obelisk Island. After discovering a giant egg, the group takes the newly hatched Gappa back to Japan despite warnings from the islanders. Two enormous adult Gappas—capable of travelling through land, sea and air—emerge in pursuit of their stolen offspring, crossing Japan and devastating Atami, industrial districts and military positions as they search for the juvenile. The spectacle ultimately leads to Haneda Airport, where the captured creature is returned to its parents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3394\" data-end=\"3775\"\u003eThis family structure gives \u003cem data-start=\"3422\" data-end=\"3429\"\u003eGappa\u003c\/em\u003e its distinctive identity. The adult monsters are not invading conquerors but enraged parents attempting to recover their child, allowing Nikkatsu to combine city-smashing spectacle with an unexpectedly emotional climax. It is a singular fusion of South Seas adventure, corporate satire, Nikkatsu action cinema and full-blooded kaiju destruction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3777\" data-end=\"4256\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3777\" data-end=\"3794\"\u003ePoster design\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"3794\" data-end=\"3797\"\u003eThis STB is among the most extravagant Japanese monster compositions of the period. The upper section opens in near-apocalyptic fashion: an adult Gappa descends over an airport and city engulfed in flame, while another huge winged silhouette cuts across the turbulent clouds above. At upper right, \u003cstrong data-start=\"4095\" data-end=\"4169\"\u003etwo enormous blimps suspend the captured juvenile Gappa in a cargo net\u003c\/strong\u003e, surrounded by smaller aircraft—a direct visualisation of the film’s central conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4258\" data-end=\"4711\"\u003eA monumental close-up of Gappa’s horned, avian-reptilian head dominates the centre. Its glowing red-rimmed eyes, rough triangular scales, hooked beak and exposed fangs are rendered in acidic greens, black, cream and yellow, with a brilliant white heat ray slicing diagonally across the image. The close perspective gives the monster an almost tactile presence and provides one of the most memorable creature portraits found on any non-Toho kaiju poster.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4713\" data-end=\"5134\"\u003eThe left side is anchored by the brilliant yellow \u003cstrong data-start=\"4763\" data-end=\"4785\"\u003e日活 Nikkatsu emblem\u003c\/strong\u003e, accompanied by sleek fighter aircraft and vertical red credits for the principal creative team. Along the right edge, the yellow advertising copy proclaims Gappa’s Mach 3 speed and ten-megaton destructive power, promising a storm of terror over the modern metropolis and announcing the picture as a lavishly financed Nikkatsu special-effects epic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5136\" data-end=\"5726\"\u003eThe lower panel is dominated by the enormous three-dimensional red title \u003cstrong data-start=\"5209\" data-end=\"5221\"\u003e「大巨獣ガッパ」\u003c\/strong\u003e, its angular lettering projecting forward in deep blue-black shadow. Beneath it, the human cast runs towards the viewer while military jets tear across the sky. Mt Fuji rises in the background as two adult Gappas surge through the sea; one fires its blazing heat ray towards a burning ship while the second charges through the waves. A compact \u003cstrong data-start=\"5566\" data-end=\"5589\"\u003e“Gappa’s abilities”\u003c\/strong\u003e panel at lower right adds a wonderful period science-fiction detail, presenting the creature almost as a newly unveiled military weapon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5728\" data-end=\"6128\"\u003eThe complete design is unmistakably Nikkatsu: fast, crowded, colourful and action-driven. The artwork combines studio branding, monster spectacle, aviation imagery, scientific pulp, human adventure and emotional family drama within one towering composition. The blazing reds, saturated yellows, deep blues and mottled green creature tones remain remarkably powerful nearly six decades after printing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6130\" data-end=\"6741\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6130\" data-end=\"6154\"\u003eRarity and condition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr data-start=\"6154\" data-end=\"6157\"\u003eJapanese STB tatekan posters were working theatre-display material and had a particularly low survival rate. Their two-sheet construction and imposing size made them vulnerable to pasting, trimming, tearing, separation and disposal after a film’s engagement ended. Complete first-release examples are therefore substantially scarcer than standard Japanese B2 posters. With \u003cem data-start=\"6530\" data-end=\"6537\"\u003eGappa\u003c\/em\u003e representing Nikkatsu’s singular entry into the classic kaiju cycle, this is an \u003cstrong data-start=\"6618\" data-end=\"6740\"\u003eultra-rare and genuine holy-grail poster for collectors of Nikkatsu, Showa special effects and non-Toho monster cinema\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"6743\" data-end=\"7297\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"6743\" data-end=\"6853\"\u003eCondition is excellent in presentation due to professional conservation and museum-standard washi backing.\u003c\/strong\u003e The two sections have been brought to a beautifully flat, stable and display-ready state while retaining the poster’s authentic period surface and gently visible fold history. A \u003cstrong data-start=\"7032\" data-end=\"7086\"\u003etiny split at the top centre and minor edge stress\u003c\/strong\u003e were expertly mended using hand-torn kozo-fibre washi and reversible, pH-neutral wheat starch paste—a traditional Japanese paper-conservation method used for centuries on materials including sutras and ukiyo-e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"7299\" data-end=\"7681\"\u003eThese repairs are strong, flexible and near-invisible, supporting the original paper without introducing harsh modern adhesives or compromising its fibres. The colours remain exceptionally vivid, particularly the enormous scarlet title, yellow Nikkatsu mark, blue-black sky and richly mottled Gappa imagery. Photographs of the reverse show the clean, even traditional washi support.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"7683\" data-end=\"7814\"\u003ePlease review the photographs carefully—they show the \u003cstrong data-start=\"7737\" data-end=\"7770\"\u003eexact poster offered for sale\u003c\/strong\u003e. This is \u003cstrong data-start=\"7780\" data-end=\"7813\"\u003enot a reproduction or reprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"7816\" data-end=\"7857\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"7816\" data-end=\"7857\"\u003eCertificate of Authenticity included.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57084643410298,"sku":null,"price":4150.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/man-standing-in-front-of-gallery-wall_20.jpg?v=1784366018","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/gappa-the-triphibian-monster-%e5%a4%a7%e5%b7%a8%e7%8d%a3%e3%82%ac%e3%83%83%e3%83%91-daikyoju-gappa-1967-japanese-stb-tatekan-poster-first-release-ultra-rare-nikkatsu-kaiju-holy-grail-professionally-conserved-and-washi-backed-stb-size-c-51-145-cm","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}