“Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” (風の谷のナウシカ), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster, 1984, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) J207

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1984 for the first release of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (風の谷のナウシカ), written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Among original Japanese anime posters, this is one of the most admired and sought-after designs from the 1980s: the celebrated “Glider Style” image, showing Nausicaä in flight across the poisoned world she struggles to understand and protect.

Although often associated with Studio Ghibli, Nausicaä was produced just before the studio’s formal founding, by Topcraft, and is rightly regarded as the foundational Miyazaki masterpiece that led directly to the creation of Studio Ghibli. As such, original first-release posters for the film occupy an especially important place in the history of Japanese animation collecting.

Authenticity

This point is important: many official later reproductions of Nausicaä poster designs circulate, often sold through Ghibli-related retail channels or reproduced for later promotional use. The example offered here is 100% an original 1984 theatrical printing, issued for the film’s original Japanese cinema campaign — not one of the later shop reproductions.

That distinction matters greatly for collectors. Original first-release Miyazaki and early pre-Ghibli posters are far scarcer than the reproductions many buyers encounter, and demand for authentic theatrical material remains consistently strong.

Film background
Released in 1984, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is one of the defining achievements of post-war Japanese animation. Adapted from Miyazaki’s own manga, the film is set in a far-future world devastated by ecological collapse, where humanity survives on the margins of the toxic Sea of Decay. At its centre is Princess Nausicaä, a courageous and compassionate heroine who seeks understanding between humankind and the natural world rather than domination over it.

The film’s ecological vision, emotional seriousness, and astonishing world-building made it a landmark on release, and it remains one of the most influential works in the entire Miyazaki / Ghibli canon. For many collectors, it is not simply a great anime film, but one of the most important Japanese films of the 1980s in any genre.

Poster design
This poster presents one of the most iconic images associated with the film. Nausicaä is shown riding her Möwe glider, leaning into the wind with Teto perched on her shoulder, her expression poised between urgency and resolve. The composition immediately conveys motion, freedom, and danger.

The wider landscape beneath her is richly evocative of the film’s ruined world. Visible are the windmills of the Valley, a looming Pejite gunship, the segmented body of a massive Ohmu, and, at lower right, the haunting petrified remains of a Giant Warrior. These elements compress the film’s entire imaginative universe into a single sweeping image.

The vertical calligraphic copy at left reads:

「飛べ、ナウシカ！愛と勇気を胸に…」
“Fly, Nausicaä! With love and courage in your heart…”

At right appears the smaller line:

「詩情あふれる感動の冒険スペクタクル。」
“A deeply moving adventure spectacle filled with poetic sentiment.”

Anchoring the sheet at the bottom is the great red title 風の谷のナウシカ, one of the most recognisable title treatments in Japanese anime poster design.

The artwork has the painterly, hand-rendered quality that collectors especially value in early Miyazaki material: atmospheric skies, expressive linework, and a sense of narrative breadth that feels closer to an illustrated adventure epic than to conventional commercial film advertising.

Collecting significance
Original first-release Japanese posters for Nausicaä are consistently prized, and this B2 “Glider Style” is among the most desirable of the film’s Japanese campaign designs. It combines Hayao Miyazaki’s signature visual world, major historical importance, and immediate display impact in one sheet.

Its appeal crosses several collecting fields at once: Miyazaki, early anime, pre-Ghibli / proto-Ghibli material, 1980s Japanese poster design, and landmark science-fantasy cinema. For serious collectors of Japanese film posters, it is a key title.

Condition
This poster presents very attractively overall, with strong colour and excellent display presence. Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale.

This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is over 40 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.