“GENOCIDE / WAR OF THE INSECTS” (昆虫大戦争), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1968, Rare STB Tatekan Size (51 × 145 cm / 20 × 57 in) H79A
This is an original Japanese STB / tatekan poster printed in 1968 for the first theatrical release of Genocide (昆虫大戦争 / Konchū Daisensō), released internationally as War of the Insects. Directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu for Shochiku, the film is one of the most striking and unusual examples of late-1960s Japanese science-fiction horror, blending killer-insect terror, Cold War anxiety, ecological fear, and apocalyptic spectacle.
This is the rare and highly desirable STB / tatekan theatrical format, measuring approximately 51 × 145 cm / 20 × 57 in. Considerably rarer than the standard Japanese B2, the format gives the artwork a near-billboard presence and exceptional display impact.
Film background
Released in 1968, Genocide / War of the Insects belongs to Shochiku’s short but memorable cycle of late-1960s genre productions. The film stars Keisuke Sonoi, Yūsuke Kawazu, Emi Shindō, Chico Roland, Kathy Horan, and Hideo Murata, and remains a cult favourite among collectors of Japanese science fiction and horror cinema.
The picture is especially notable for the way it channels the anxieties of its moment: not merely monster-movie thrills, but a broader atmosphere of nuclear-age dread, militarism, environmental collapse, and global catastrophe. In this respect, it stands apart from more familiar kaiju narratives and occupies a distinctive place in Japanese genre history.
Poster design
The design is bold, lurid, and immediately arresting. The upper section is dominated by a gigantic venomous insect head, its open mandibles descending over a landscape of swarming bugs, aircraft, explosions, and a blood-red sky. The composition has the exaggerated force of classic Japanese disaster-horror advertising and is exceptionally effective at long distance.
The monumental blue vertical title reads 昆虫大戦争 — literally “Great Insect War” or “War of the Insects.” The scale of the lettering, outlined in white against a fiery red-and-black ground, gives the poster enormous visual power.
At upper right, the vertical copy reads:
「人間を襲って数秒で白骨と化す恐怖の猛毒昆虫群！人類最後の太陽がしずむ…」
A natural rendering is:
“A terrifying swarm of venomous insects attacks humans, reducing them to bleached bones in seconds! The final sun of humanity is setting…”
Below, the design broadens into a full disaster tableau: military personnel, fleeing civilians, terrified survivors, aircraft in crisis, and human figures reaching toward the viewer. A green 「カラー作品」 (“colour feature”) banner reinforces the film’s positioning as a major Shochiku genre spectacle. The lower cast and credit area helps anchor the composition, while the overall top-to-bottom structure gives the STB the feeling of a complete science-fiction mural rather than a conventional poster.
About the format
Japanese STB / tatekan posters were tall, two-panel cinema signboard posters, generally formed from two stacked B2 sheets and designed for theatre-front or lobby display. Measuring approximately 51 × 145 cm, they were made for visibility rather than permanence.
Because they were large, difficult to store, and frequently discarded after exhibition, surviving STB examples are materially harder to find than standard B2 posters. For a title as visually explosive as Genocide / War of the Insects, the format is particularly well suited, allowing the insect menace, collapsing aircraft, panicked figures, and massive title typography to unfold with tremendous dramatic force.
Condition
Excellent condition overall, with a small tear visible and shown in the close-up image provided. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster offered.
This poster is an original Japanese theatrical STB / tatekan poster from the 1968 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 55 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
