This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster issued in Japan for Daiei’s 1966 film Irezumi — also known internationally as The Spider Tattoo — directed by Yasuzō Masumura and based on the story by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki. This is the classic Japanese B2 one-sheet, the standard theatrical poster size used for cinema display. It is a striking country-of-origin piece for one of Masumura’s most celebrated films, built around the unforgettable image of a kimono-clad woman revealing the ominous spider tattoo across her back.
Important note on authenticity: original Japanese B2 posters from this period are increasingly difficult to find in high grade, particularly for important Daiei titles with major auteur and literary pedigree. This example is 100% original first-release Japanese theatrical paper, not a reproduction or later decorative reprint. It presents at an exceptional level, with the crisp surface quality and refined color expected of genuine 1960s Japanese cinema advertising.
Film background
Released by Daiei in 1966, Irezumi was directed by Yasuzō Masumura, one of the defining voices of postwar Japanese cinema. The film adapts Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s story of erotic obsession, violence, bodily transformation, and revenge. Its screenplay is by Kaneto Shindō, with cinematography by Kazuo Miyagawa, whose elegant visual style gives the film much of its distinctive period atmosphere. The cast includes Ayako Wakao, Akio Hasegawa, Gaku Yamamoto, and Kei Satō, with Wakao’s central performance standing among the most iconic roles associated with Masumura’s cinema.
The story follows a young woman whose life is violently redirected after she is abducted and tattooed with a demonic spider. Rather than remaining a passive victim, she embraces the spider’s predatory symbolism and becomes a figure of seduction, dominance, and vengeance. The film remains a key work of 1960s Japanese genre cinema, combining literary adaptation, psychological horror, period melodrama, and the “bad woman” tradition with remarkable visual precision.
Poster design
This B2 offers a powerful alternate presentation of the film’s central image. The composition is dominated by a large, tightly cropped portrait of the female figure looking back over her shoulder, her kimono lowered to reveal the spider tattoo spreading across her back. The closer framing gives this design a more intimate and confrontational quality than the STB: the viewer is brought directly into the charged space between beauty, danger, and transformation.
The title 「刺青」 is rendered in large, rough-brushed black calligraphy down the left side, with the orange phonetic reading 「いれずみ」 beneath it. At the top, the poster emphasizes the film as a complete screen adaptation of Tanizaki’s literary world, while the red text 「総天然色」 announces the full-color presentation. Smaller inset figures at upper left introduce the film’s power dynamics, while the main portrait and tattoo remain the clear visual anchor. The result is spare, elegant, and deeply unsettling—an ideal example of 1960s Japanese poster design using negative space, calligraphy, and a single arresting image to create lasting impact.
Rarity and condition
Japanese B2 posters were produced for actual theatrical display and were often handled, posted, folded, or discarded after use. High-grade surviving examples for significant 1960s Daiei titles are now genuinely scarce, and Irezumi is especially desirable because of its Masumura / Tanizaki association and its instantly recognizable tattoo imagery.
Condition is excellent, very close to near mint, with only minimal signs of age and handling consistent with original theatrical paper of this period. Colors remain strong, the calligraphy is crisp, and the image presents beautifully. Please inspect the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.
This is not a reproduction or reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.
