“House / Hausu” (ハウス), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1977, Cat-and-House Design, Nobuhiko Ōbayashi, B2 Size (c. 51 × 73 cm) H208

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster produced for the 1977 first release of House, directed by Nobuhiko Ōbayashi, produced by Toho Eizo and distributed by Toho.

The more sought-after of the two principal Japanese designs, this extraordinary composition brings together the white cat, an isolated mansion and a fiery orange sky, framed by vivid red-and-green lettering. It captures the unsettling mixture of innocence, fantasy and nightmare that defines one of Japanese cinema’s most distinctive cult films.

Film background

Released in Japan on 30 July 1977, House follows a schoolgirl and six friends who visit her aunt’s secluded country home. Their summer excursion becomes a succession of supernatural encounters as the house and its contents turn against them.

Developed from a concept by Ōbayashi’s daughter, Chigumi, with a screenplay by Chiho Katsura, the film combines haunted-house horror with surreal humour and exuberant visual experimentation. Animation, photographic collage and deliberately theatrical effects give its terrors the unpredictable logic of a childhood nightmare.

The cast includes Kimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Ōba and Yōko Minamida, with music by Asei Kobayashi and Mickie Yoshino and songs performed by Godiego.

Poster design

A white long-haired cat perched on a decorative pedestal occupies the centre, its alert expression contrasting with the ominous landscape behind it. Above, an ivy-covered mansion emerges from blue-green woodland beneath a swirling orange-and-red sky.

The enormous HOUSE title, rendered in irregular red letters edged with bright green, dominates the lower half. A sinister silhouette within the “O” reinforces the suggestion that the building itself is alive.

At the top, a small illustrated emblem transforms the house into a creature with a gaping mouth and an extended red tongue. A row of cast portraits and the Toho logo complete the lower border.

The Japanese tagline reads:

「紫色の森の中で年老いたハウスは 若い娘たちを待っていた…………」
“Deep within a purple forest, the aged house was waiting for the young girls…”

Cultural significance

House occupies a singular position in Japanese horror and international cult cinema, bringing Ōbayashi’s experimental filmmaking and commercial-advertising experience into a startlingly unconventional studio production.

This design distils the film’s appeal into three unforgettable elements: the cat, the haunted mansion and its psychedelic colour palette. It is a particularly compelling piece for collectors of Japanese horror, Ōbayashi’s cinema and 1970s graphic design.

Condition

Very Good / Excellent. The poster retains vivid orange, red and green colour and strong photographic detail. Surface creasing, rubbing and edge wear are visible, with small edge nicks and tears. The reverse shows age-related toning and scattered foxing, more concentrated towards the upper edge, together with handling marks and creasing.

We have taken the condition into account when pricing. The central imagery remains striking and will make an impressive framed display. Please review the photographs carefully—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original Japanese theatrical poster from 1977.
It is not a reproduction or a modern reprint.

It is approximately 49 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.