This is an original Japanese speed-poster printed in 1973 for the first theatrical release of Lady Snowblood (修羅雪姫), the iconic jidaigeki revenge film directed by Toshiya Fujita (藤田敏八) and based on the manga by Kazuo Koike & Kazuo Kamimura (小池一夫・上村一夫). The film stars Meiko Kaji (梶芽衣子) alongside Toshio Kurosawa (黒沢年男), Masaaki Daimon (大門正明), and Eiji Okada (岡田英次)—all credited on the poster.
A cult touchstone of 1970s Japanese cinema, Lady Snowblood helped define modern screen vengeance—its snow-garden duels, operatic violence, and icy poise famously echoing through later filmmakers (most notably the visual and structural homages in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill). Kaji’s music also became inseparable from that legacy—particularly “Shura no Hana” (修羅の花 / The Flower of Carnage), the film’s signature theme.
Poster design
This extraordinary Japanese speed-poster design is pure impact: a stark figure portrait of the kimono-clad avenger, set against a black field flecked with falling white “snow” and blossoms, dominated by the colossal scarlet brush-stroke title 修羅雪姫 running vertically. At lower left, Kaji appears poised with a sword, framed by the sharp geometry of an umbrella—an image that perfectly captures the film’s icy lyricism: grace balanced with mortal intent. The sheet also includes the Tōhō roundel (東宝) and the green bracketed legend 「カラー作品」 indicating the colour release, alongside crisp cast and credit blocks.
It is over 52 years old!
Condition
Excellent. Please review all provided front-and-back photos—the images show the exact poster offered.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
A rare opportunity to acquire one of the most in‑demand Japanese cult posters—uniting Meiko Kaji’s legendary screen presence with the music and imagery that continue to inspire filmmakers and audiences worldwide.
