Size: STB / 20 × 57 in (51 × 145 cm)
Country / Studio: Japan / Shochiku
Film & context
Shochiku’s 1973 adaptation of Eiji Yoshikawa’s monumental novel, directed by Tai Kato (加藤泰) and starring Hideki Takahashi as Musashi with Jirō Tamiya as Sasaki Kojirō. The film condenses Musashi’s tempestuous rise—from the aftermath of Sekigahara to the legendary duel on Ganryū-jima—into a vigorous jidai-geki that balances swordplay with the self-discipline and artistry central to the Musashi myth.
Design highlights
A superb illustrated composition signed “Hara” (artist credit at lower left), rendered like charcoal and pastel on kōzo paper. The tall two-sheet reads as a single scroll:
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A full-height calligraphic masthead 「宮本武蔵」 dominates the upper panel—bold, sumi-ink strokes echoing zen calligraphy and Musashi’s own brush practice.
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Two confronting figures of Musashi bookend the title: above, he braces a long bō/practice staff; below, he turns with katana drawn, hakama whipping in the wind. Their reflections ripple across a wash-painted ground, creating motion and the feeling of mist before dawn at Ganryū-jima.
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Vertical credit slates announce Yoshikawa Eiji – original, script by Nomura Yoshitarō & Yamashita Seizō, and the Shochiku logo; the cast block lists Takahashi Hideki (Musashi) and Tamiya Jirō (Sasaki Kojirō) prominently.
An elegant, museum-grade STB whose painterly surface and restrained palette distinguish it from photo-montage campaigns—perfect for collectors who prize artwork-led samurai paper.
Condition
Very good / Excellent. Theatre-used Japanese stock with original folds; clean, richly printed inks; excellent presentation for an STB of this vintage. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
Authentication
Original 1973 Japanese STB (tatekan) for the Shochiku first-release campaign. It is not a reproduction or a reprint. Certificate of Authenticity included.
About STB (Tatekan) posters
STBs are tall two-sheet verticals (~51 × 145 cm) pasted together and posted outdoors on wooden stands at cinemas and transit approaches—mini billboards that were changed frequently and often discarded. Surviving, artwork-driven samurai STBs are scarce, and this Musashi piece—signed by Hara—is an exceptional example.
