“Kagemusha” / “Shadow Warrior” (影武者), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1980, Akira Kurosawa, Extremely Rare Massive B0 Size, c. 103 × 143 cm BA28

This is an original Japanese B0 theatrical poster printed in 1980 for the first release of Kagemusha (影武者), Akira Kurosawa’s monumental late-career samurai epic.

An extremely rare and massive B0-format poster, this piece measures approximately 103 × 143 cm, giving the artwork a commanding, near-mural presence. Original Japanese B0 posters were produced in far smaller numbers than standard B2 cinema posters and were intended for major theatre display, making surviving examples highly desirable.

Film background
Directed by Akira Kurosawa, Kagemusha is set during Japan’s Sengoku period and follows a lowly thief chosen to impersonate the dying warlord Takeda Shingen in order to preserve the illusion of his power. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kenichi Hagiwara, Jinpachi Nezu, and Daisuke Ryū.

One of Kurosawa’s grandest historical productions, Kagemusha is celebrated for its painterly use of colour, epic battle imagery, dream sequences, and profound meditation on identity, power, illusion, and political theatre. The film won the Palme d’Or at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival, reaffirming Kurosawa’s international stature.

Poster design
This Japanese B0 design is stark, cinematic, and extraordinarily powerful at scale. A vast, ghostly face emerges across a red and black sunset sky, partially dissolving into the horizon. Beneath it, a silhouetted army of mounted warriors, banners, spears, and battlefield standards stretches across the lower half of the composition.

The result is both martial and spectral: the army appears almost like a vision, while the enormous face suggests the central theme of the film — a living man transformed into the shadow of another.

At the lower centre, the title appears in red:

影武者
“Kagemusha / Shadow Warrior”

Beneath it is printed:

黒澤明監督作品
“An Akira Kurosawa Film”

The Toho mark appears at the upper left, confirming the original Japanese theatrical presentation.

Rarity and format
Japanese B0 posters are among the most impressive and difficult-to-source theatrical formats. At roughly four times the area of a standard B2 poster, they were used for major cinema display and were rarely preserved carefully after exhibition.

For a Kurosawa title of this importance, the B0 format is especially significant. The scale transforms the image from poster design into something closer to a cinematic wall piece — severe, atmospheric, and museum-worthy.

Condition
Very Good vintage display condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale, including both the front and reverse.

The poster retains strong colour, powerful image presence, and exceptional display impact. As expected for an original large-format B0 poster of this age, there are visible fold lines, handling creases, surface marks, and signs of storage. These are consistent with the format and period and have been taken into account when pricing.

Once framed, this poster will display spectacularly.

This is an original 1980 Japanese theatrical B0 poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 45 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.