“Princess Mononoke” / 「もののけ姫」, Original Japanese First-Release Theatre-Listing Poster 1997, Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli, B3 Size (36.4 × 51.5 cm) D265

This is an original Japanese B3 theatre-listing poster for Princess Mononoke / 「もののけ姫」, printed in 1997 for the film’s first domestic theatrical release campaign.

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, Princess Mononoke remains one of the defining achievements of modern Japanese animation. This particular poster is especially desirable because it is an original first-release B3 variant, not a later retail reproduction or modern reissue.

Film background
Set in late-Muromachi Japan, Princess Mononoke follows Ashitaka, an Emishi prince cursed after defending his village from a demonic boar god. His search for a cure draws him into the conflict between the forest gods and the expanding human world of iron production, war, and survival.

The film refuses a simple division between good and evil. Instead, Miyazaki created a vast, morally complex epic about nature, violence, industry, community, and the cost of living. With its monumental animation, mature themes, and score by Joe Hisaishi, Princess Mononoke became one of Studio Ghibli’s most important works and a landmark in the international reception of Japanese animation.

Poster design
This B3 poster uses one of the film’s most iconic campaign images: San stands bloodied and defiant in the foreground, knife in hand, with the immense white face of the wolf goddess Moro looming behind her. The image is stark, direct, and immediately recognizable.

At left, the silver vertical tagline 「生きろ。」 — “Live.” — is one of the most memorable slogans in Japanese film advertising. At lower centre, the title 「もののけ姫」 appears in large red lettering, with the blue text 「宮崎 駿 監督作品」 identifying it as a Hayao Miyazaki-directed work.

This is the theatre-listing / now-showing B3 variant from the original 1997 Japanese release period. Unlike the more familiar standard B2 cinema poster, this format was designed for public display in more compact spaces and included exhibition-related copy for the film’s original theatrical run.

The B3 format and why it matters
Japanese B3 posters measure approximately 36.4 × 51.5 cm, smaller than the standard B2 theatrical format. In Japan, B3 posters were commonly used for railway, bus-interior, and theatre-listing display, particularly in connection with live exhibition campaigns.

Because these posters were functional advertising objects, they were often displayed, handled, replaced, or discarded after use. Surviving original first-release B3 examples for major Studio Ghibli titles are significantly harder to find than later commercial reproductions.

This example is particularly important because it belongs to the film’s original 1997 Japanese theatrical release campaign, rather than the many later official and unofficial Princess Mononoke reproductions that have circulated over the years.

Condition
Excellent condition. Please review the photograph carefully, as it shows the exact poster for sale.

The poster presents beautifully, with strong colour, clean character artwork, bold red title typography, and excellent overall display impact. Only light signs of age, storage, or handling are visible, consistent with careful preservation of an original 1997 Japanese B3 poster.

This is an original 1997 Japanese first-release B3 theatre-listing poster.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is nearly 30 years old.

Certificate of Authenticity included.