“The Perennial Weed” (昭和枯れすすき), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1975, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA124

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1975 for the first theatrical release of The Perennial Weed (昭和枯れすすき), directed by Yoshitaro Nomura and distributed by Shochiku.

Film background
Inspired by the 1974 hit enka song “Showa Karesusuki” by duo Sakura & Ichiro, the film follows a hard‑pressed Tokyo detective and his wayward younger sister, who have only each other after losing their parents. As the brother is drawn deeper into a difficult murder investigation, his sister falls in with delinquent crowds, testing the limits of their fraught but powerful bond. Starring Hideki Takahashi and Kumiko Akiyoshi, the film mixes gritty urban locations, family drama and 1970s social realism, and is now regarded as a notable collaboration between director Nomura and screenwriter Kaneto Shindo.

Poster design
This B2 poster features a beautiful, stylised illustration by acclaimed manga artist and illustrator Seiichi Hayashi (林静一), whose work is noted in museum exhibition catalogues of Japanese film poster art. A young woman, rendered in Hayashi’s signature delicate lines and flat colours, sits curled up with knees drawn to her chest, her pale figure framed against a deep black field. Vibrant bands of yellow and magenta and a trail of curling cigarette smoke add graphic punch, while the bold white title lettering cascades down the right side. The design perfectly captures the film’s mood of youthful vulnerability, urban melancholy and quiet rebellion, and is a wonderful example of Hayashi’s influential 1970s poster work.

This poster is in very good / excellent condition (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 45 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.