{"product_id":"himiko-卑弥呼-original-japanese-movie-poster-1974-b2-size-51-73-cm-b284","title":"“Himiko” \/ 「卑弥呼」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1974, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) B284","description":"\u003cp data-start=\"86\" data-end=\"302\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eThis is an \u003cstrong data-start=\"97\" data-end=\"139\"\u003eoriginal Japanese B2 theatrical poster\u003c\/strong\u003e printed for the first release of \u003cstrong data-start=\"173\" data-end=\"191\"\u003eHimiko \/ 「卑弥呼」\u003c\/strong\u003e, Masahiro Shinoda’s radical 1974 historical drama produced and distributed by the \u003cstrong data-start=\"274\" data-end=\"301\"\u003eArt Theatre Guild (ATG)\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cspan aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"304\" data-end=\"512\"\u003eCombining ancient Japanese mythology with the political, erotic, and spiritual concerns of the Japanese New Wave, Himiko is one of the most visually and intellectually distinctive Japanese films of the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"514\" data-end=\"533\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"514\" data-end=\"533\"\u003eFilm background\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"535\" data-end=\"738\"\u003eSet in an imagined version of third-century Japan, the film centres on \u003cstrong data-start=\"606\" data-end=\"622\"\u003eQueen Himiko\u003c\/strong\u003e, the legendary shaman ruler of Yamatai whose authority rests upon her claimed ability to communicate with the gods.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"740\" data-end=\"1043\"\u003eHer position begins to destabilise when her half-brother \u003cstrong data-start=\"797\" data-end=\"809\"\u003eTakehiko\u003c\/strong\u003e returns from the Asian mainland. Their forbidden relationship disrupts the spiritual and political order surrounding Himiko, provoking jealousy, competing religious interpretations, and increasingly violent conflict among the tribes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1045\" data-end=\"1257\"\u003eRather than attempting a conventional historical reconstruction, the film presents ancient Japan through highly theatrical sets, ritualised performances, symbolic costume, and deliberately modern visual language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1259\" data-end=\"1489\"\u003eDirected by \u003cstrong data-start=\"1271\" data-end=\"1291\"\u003eMasahiro Shinoda\u003c\/strong\u003e, the screenplay was written by \u003cstrong data-start=\"1323\" data-end=\"1361\"\u003eMasahiro Shinoda and Taeko Tomioka\u003c\/strong\u003e. The film stars \u003cstrong data-start=\"1378\" data-end=\"1406\"\u003eShima Iwashita as Himiko\u003c\/strong\u003e, alongside \u003cstrong data-start=\"1418\" data-end=\"1488\"\u003eMasao Kusakari, Rie Yokoyama, Rentarō Mikuni, and Tatsumi Hijikata\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1491\" data-end=\"1626\"\u003eThe haunting score was composed by \u003cstrong data-start=\"1526\" data-end=\"1544\"\u003eTōru Takemitsu\u003c\/strong\u003e, one of the most important figures in modern Japanese music and film composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1628\" data-end=\"1920\"\u003eHimiko was selected to compete for the \u003cstrong data-start=\"1667\" data-end=\"1714\"\u003ePalme d’Or at the 1974 Cannes Film Festival\u003c\/strong\u003e. It remains highly regarded as a major work of Japanese avant-garde and New Wave cinema, particularly for its fusion of mythology, political allegory, eroticism, ritual, and experimental theatrical design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1922\" data-end=\"1939\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"1922\" data-end=\"1939\"\u003ePoster design\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"1941\" data-end=\"2131\"\u003eThe poster uses a disciplined \u003cstrong data-start=\"1971\" data-end=\"2010\"\u003egrid-based photographic composition\u003c\/strong\u003e designed by the celebrated Japanese graphic artist \u003cstrong data-start=\"2062\" data-end=\"2079\"\u003eKiyoshi Awazu\u003c\/strong\u003e, who also served as the film’s production designer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2133\" data-end=\"2382\"\u003eAwazu was a major figure in postwar Japanese graphic design, known for combining traditional Japanese imagery with experimental typography, collage, and modernist structures. The photography is credited to acclaimed photojournalist \u003cstrong data-start=\"2365\" data-end=\"2381\"\u003eTadao Mitome\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2384\" data-end=\"2602\"\u003eAt the centre is a large portrait of \u003cstrong data-start=\"2421\" data-end=\"2455\"\u003eShima Iwashita as Queen Himiko\u003c\/strong\u003e. Her face is covered in pale ritual makeup, with sharply defined black eyeliner, red eyeshadow, and a simple white headband decorated with a leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2604\" data-end=\"2716\"\u003eHer expression is calm, distant, and almost mask-like, suggesting both divine authority and emotional isolation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2718\" data-end=\"2989\"\u003eSurrounding the central portrait are \u003cstrong data-start=\"2755\" data-end=\"2784\"\u003eten smaller framed images\u003c\/strong\u003e drawn from the film. These include white-robed ritual attendants, spear-bearing warriors, tribal processions, lovers embracing beside the sea, and figures participating in strange ceremonial performances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"2991\" data-end=\"3188\"\u003eThe individual stills function almost like fragments of an archaeological or anthropological archive, while the strict black grid gives the composition a distinctly modern and analytical structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3190\" data-end=\"3249\"\u003eThe white horizontal tagline beneath the image field reads:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3251\" data-end=\"3292\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3251\" data-end=\"3292\"\u003e「原始日本の混沌のなかで、エロス、政治、宗教のタブーにいどむ衝撃のドラマ」\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3294\" data-end=\"3402\"\u003e“A shocking drama challenging the taboos of eros, politics, and religion amid the chaos of primitive Japan.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3404\" data-end=\"3503\"\u003eThe lower section is presented against a solid black ground and dominated by the large white title:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3505\" data-end=\"3514\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3505\" data-end=\"3514\"\u003e「卑弥呼」\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3516\" data-end=\"3579\"\u003eSmall furigana beneath the kanji provide the reading \u003cstrong data-start=\"3569\" data-end=\"3578\"\u003e「ひみこ」\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3581\" data-end=\"3840\"\u003eTo the right, the credits identify director \u003cstrong data-start=\"3625\" data-end=\"3645\"\u003eMasahiro Shinoda\u003c\/strong\u003e, the principal cast, and the \u003cstrong data-start=\"3675\" data-end=\"3682\"\u003eATG\u003c\/strong\u003e production. The creative credits at lower left include screenwriter \u003cstrong data-start=\"3751\" data-end=\"3768\"\u003eTaeko Tomioka\u003c\/strong\u003e, composer \u003cstrong data-start=\"3779\" data-end=\"3797\"\u003eTōru Takemitsu\u003c\/strong\u003e, and other members of the production team.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3842\" data-end=\"3887\"\u003eAt the bottom right, the poster credits read:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3889\" data-end=\"3942\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"3889\" data-end=\"3942\"\u003e“Photography TADAO MITOME · Design KIYOSHI AWAZU”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"3944\" data-end=\"4086\"\u003eThe result is an exceptionally sophisticated poster: part film advertisement, part photographic archive, and part avant-garde graphic artwork.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4088\" data-end=\"4114\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4088\" data-end=\"4114\"\u003eArtist and design note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4116\" data-end=\"4408\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4116\" data-end=\"4133\"\u003eKiyoshi Awazu\u003c\/strong\u003e was one of the leading figures in postwar Japanese graphic culture. His work crossed poster design, architecture, theatre, publishing, and experimental cinema, and he was closely associated with the intellectual and visual movements that reshaped Japanese art after the war.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4410\" data-end=\"4628\"\u003eFor Himiko, Awazu’s design avoids conventional illustrated spectacle. Instead, the poster uses repetition, framing, and photographic fragmentation to mirror the film’s examination of myth, ritual, sexuality, and power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4630\" data-end=\"4798\"\u003eOriginal Japanese posters designed by Awazu are increasingly collected not only as cinema memorabilia but also as significant works of twentieth-century graphic design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4800\" data-end=\"4816\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"4800\" data-end=\"4816\"\u003eRelease note\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4818\" data-end=\"4940\"\u003eThis poster was printed for the film’s \u003cstrong data-start=\"4857\" data-end=\"4905\"\u003eoriginal Japanese theatrical release in 1974\u003c\/strong\u003e through the \u003cstrong data-start=\"4918\" data-end=\"4939\"\u003eArt Theatre Guild\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"4942\" data-end=\"5023\"\u003eIt is a standard Japanese \u003cstrong data-start=\"4968\" data-end=\"4997\"\u003eB2-size theatrical poster\u003c\/strong\u003e, measuring approximately:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5025\" data-end=\"5062\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5025\" data-end=\"5062\"\u003e51.5 × 72.8 cm \/ 20 × 28.7 inches\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5064\" data-end=\"5164\"\u003eIt is an \u003cstrong data-start=\"5073\" data-end=\"5115\"\u003eoriginal period Japanese cinema poster\u003c\/strong\u003e, not a later reproduction or commercial reprint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5166\" data-end=\"5179\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5166\" data-end=\"5179\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5181\" data-end=\"5341\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5181\" data-end=\"5205\"\u003eExcellent condition.\u003c\/strong\u003e A highly attractive example, with strong photographic detail, rich black tones, clear typography, and excellent overall display impact.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5343\" data-end=\"5502\"\u003eThere are only light signs of age and handling consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from this period, but overall it presents extremely well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5504\" data-end=\"5524\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5504\" data-end=\"5524\"\u003eReference: B284.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5526\" data-end=\"5604\"\u003ePlease review the photograph carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5606\" data-end=\"5707\"\u003eThis is an \u003cstrong data-start=\"5617\" data-end=\"5661\"\u003eoriginal 1974 Japanese theatrical poster\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003cbr data-start=\"5662\" data-end=\"5665\"\u003eIt is \u003cstrong data-start=\"5671\" data-end=\"5706\"\u003enot a reproduction or a reprint\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5709\" data-end=\"5741\"\u003eIt is now \u003cstrong data-start=\"5719\" data-end=\"5740\"\u003eover 50 years old\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-start=\"5743\" data-end=\"5784\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-start=\"5743\" data-end=\"5784\" data-is-last-node=\"\"\u003eCertificate of Authenticity included.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Japan Poster Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57083578417530,"sku":null,"price":135.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0424\/8859\/4591\/files\/wall-shelf-with-ornaments-2026-07-18T074038.520.jpg?v=1784328212","url":"https:\/\/japanposter.co.uk\/products\/himiko-%e5%8d%91%e5%bc%a5%e5%91%bc-original-japanese-movie-poster-1974-b2-size-51-73-cm-b284","provider":"Japan Poster Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}