“Kagemusha” (影武者), 1980 Japanese STB Tatekan Poster (First Release), STB Size (c. 51 × 145 cm) O602
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan (two‑panel standing) poster issued in Japan for Akira Kurosawa’s monumental historical epic Kagemusha (影武者). Presented in the dramatic STB format (two B2 sheets designed to display together as a tall vertical), it’s one of the most visually commanding pieces of Kurosawa paper—an unapologetically bold, graphic statement built around the film’s title as an emblem of war, power, and identity.
Notably, the poster’s own credits include the overseas executive producer line for Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas, underlining the film’s famous international backing and prestige.
Film background
Kagemusha stands as one of Kurosawa’s defining late masterpieces: a grand Sengoku‑era tragedy in which a petty thief is forced to become the shadow double of a dead warlord—living inside a role so convincing it must sustain an entire clan. The film’s themes—performance, myth‑making, and the terror of authority—play out on a vast canvas of banners, cavalry, smoke, and ritual, culminating in the kind of battlefield spectacle only Kurosawa could choreograph.
It also carries one of the great production stories in world cinema: a Kurosawa epic whose global reach was strengthened by the support and advocacy of Coppola (with Lucas), cementing the title’s place as a cornerstone of late‑20th‑century auteur cinema.
Poster design
A masterclass in Japanese theatrical impact: the STB is dominated by enormous blood‑red brush‑stroke kanji—the title 「影武者」—stretched across both panels like a war banner, aggressive and visceral against a deep black field. Behind the calligraphy, a cavalry mass and fluttering standards emerge in smoky, almost sepia tones, giving the image the feel of history half‑seen through dust and fire.
On the right, a clean vertical block of white typography reads as a declaration of authorship—「黒澤明監督作品」 (“A film by Akira Kurosawa”)—a perfectly austere counterweight to the explosive red title. The limited palette (red / black / white) and the sheer scale of the lettering make this one of the most immediately recognizable Kurosawa designs, and the tall tatekan presentation turns it into something closer to a gallery piece than conventional advertising.
Rarity and condition
Japanese STB tatekan posters were produced for theatrical display in far smaller quantities than standard formats and were often used hard—making complete surviving two‑panel sets exceptionally difficult to find today. For a top‑tier director like Kurosawa, the format scarcity becomes even more pronounced, and this first‑release STB is very rarely encountered on the market.
Condition is very good overall, with clear fold lines and typical signs of age and cinema handling (light surface wear/creasing and minor edge wear visible in the photos; reverse shows storage wear). Please inspect the photos carefully as they show the exact poster for sale.
It is over 40 years old.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
