“Kill!” (斬る), Original Release Japanese STB Tatekan Movie Poster 1968, Tatekan Size (51 × 145 cm) ZA405

This is an original Japanese STB Tatekan (two‑sheet vertical) poster printed in 1968 for the first Japanese theatrical release of Kill! (斬る, Kiru), the darkly comic samurai film directed by Kihachi Okamoto and distributed in Japan by Toho. The film stars Tatsuya Nakadai as disillusioned ronin Genta and Etsushi Takahashi as earnest ex‑farmer Hanji, and is loosely based on a story by Shūgorō Yamamoto, whose work also inspired Akira Kurosawa’s Sanjuro.

Film background

Set in the 1830s, Kill! follows two hungry wanderers who arrive in a remote domain hoping to find work and instead become entangled in a plot by low‑ranking samurai to assassinate their corrupt superior. What begins as a classic chambara premise quickly turns into a sharp satire of the samurai code: Genta, a former retainer turned yakuza drifter, tries to show naive Hanji how idealised notions of loyalty are exploited by those in power. Okamoto balances knockabout humour and kinetic swordplay with a cynical view of feudal politics, making Kill! a cult favourite among fans of revisionist samurai cinema.Wikipedia+1

Poster design

This striking STB Tatekan format (approximately 51 × 145 cm) was traditionally displayed outside Japanese cinemas and is composed of two B2‑sized sheets joined vertically. Dominating the design is a huge, brush‑stroked red kanji 斬 (“to cut/slash”) that runs almost the full length of the poster, visually echoing the film’s title and swordplay. Smaller photo panels down the left side showcase Tatsuya Nakadai and his co‑stars, while the lower section explodes into an action scene with Nakadai’s Genta mid‑swing as bandits and samurai clash in a dusty valley. Toho’s blue circular logo sits discreetly at the top, and the vertical Japanese copy along the right edge teases whether this deadly swordsman is friend or foe. The tall, calligraphic layout epitomises late‑1960s Japanese design and makes a dramatic display piece.

This poster is in very good condition; it was displayed at the time of release and shows light signs of theatrical use consistent with its age (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 57 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.