“Graph NHK / Shin Heike Monogatari” (グラフNHK / 新・平家物語), Modern B2 Cover-Reproduction Poster, Hand-Signed by Tatsuya Nakadai — 15 March 1972 Graph NHK No. 286 Cover — B2 Size (approx. 51.5 × 72.8 cm) Private Japanese Nakadai Memorabilia Collection Q140
A beautifully preserved modern B2-format reproduction poster enlarging the cover image from the 15 March 1972 issue of Graph NHK, No. 286, featuring Tatsuya Nakadai and Ayako Wakao in costume for NHK’s major historical Taiga drama Shin Heike Monogatari — 新・平家物語.
Please note clearly: this is a modern reproduction poster, not the original 1972 Graph NHK magazine and not an original 1972 broadcaster-issued poster. Its collector significance lies in the hand-applied Tatsuya Nakadai autograph, its dramatic period image, and its provenance from a Japanese private collection of Nakadai memorabilia.
The source issue is documented as Graph NHK No. 286, Shōwa 47 / 1972, March 15, with the cover models listed as Tatsuya Nakadai and Ayako Wakao.
The Autograph
The poster is hand-signed by Tatsuya Nakadai in the lower-left quadrant, directly over the blue patterned costume. The signature is written in bold dark felt-tip ink, standing out against the deep blue fabric and integrating naturally with the portrait.
Its placement is especially effective: the autograph does not obscure Nakadai’s face, costume detail or the printed title, while remaining highly visible. For display, the signed area gives the poster a strong personal and memorial dimension.
The Programme & Its Place in NHK History
Shin Heike Monogatari was NHK’s 10th Taiga drama, broadcast in 1972. NHK’s own product description identifies it as a large-scale historical drama centred on Taira no Kiyomori and the rise and fall of the Heike clan, tracing the movement from aristocratic rule toward warrior government.
Nakadai starred as Taira no Kiyomori, one of the most consequential figures of late Heian-period Japan. The series was based on Eiji Yoshikawa’s historical novel and formed part of NHK’s prestige annual Taiga-drama tradition.
Ayako Wakao appears on the original Graph NHK cover with Nakadai. Online cast references identify her role in the series as Tokiwa Gozen; Taira no Tokiko is separately credited to Tamao Nakamura.
Tatsuya Nakadai
Tatsuya Nakadai was one of Japan’s defining screen and stage actors, celebrated for major collaborations with Akira Kurosawa and Masaki Kobayashi, including Harakiri, The Human Condition, Yojimbo, Kagemusha and Ran. He died on 8 November 2025 at the age of 92, making signed Nakadai material increasingly significant to collectors of Japanese cinema and television history.
This signed poster is particularly evocative because it presents Nakadai not in a modern publicity still, but in one of his grand historical television roles: Kiyomori, the ambitious Heike patriarch whose life became one of the great subjects of Japanese historical drama.
Design Notes
The composition is clean, formal and striking. Nakadai dominates the foreground, shown in three-quarter view with a direct, stern gaze. He wears a tall black eboshi court cap and a richly patterned blue period costume, the deep blue and silver textile design giving the image strong visual depth.
Behind him stands Ayako Wakao, dressed in an elegant orange robe decorated with gold circular crests. Her long black hair and poised expression create a strong visual counterpoint to Nakadai’s severe presence.
The top of the sheet retains the magazine-cover structure: the bold red グラフ NHK masthead, the issue date 3/15, and the small publication line identifying the March 1972 issue. Down the left side, the programme title 新・平家物語 is printed vertically in purple calligraphy, giving the poster a clear period-document character.
The enlarged B2 format gives the image a far greater display presence than the original magazine cover, transforming a vintage broadcast-publication design into a dramatic signed display piece.
Why Collectors Prize This Example
• Hand-signed by Tatsuya Nakadai: a direct autograph from one of the most important actors in Japanese cinema and television history.
• Historic NHK Taiga subject: Shin Heike Monogatari was NHK’s 10th Taiga drama and a major 1972 prestige production centred on Taira no Kiyomori.
• Graph NHK cover image: the design reproduces a documented 1972 Graph NHK cover featuring Nakadai and Ayako Wakao.
• Strong display format: the B2 enlargement gives the original magazine-cover portrait the scale and presence of a gallery poster.
• Private Japanese collection provenance: formerly held within a Japanese collection of Tatsuya Nakadai memorabilia.
• Honest collecting category: a modern reproduction poster, valued for its authentic hand signature and Nakadai association, not represented as an original 1972 poster.
Condition Report
Overall condition: Excellent.
The poster presents beautifully, with strong colour, crisp photographic detail and excellent display impact. Nakadai’s blue costume remains rich and attractive, the orange robe behind him is bright, and the printed Graph NHK masthead and purple 新・平家物語 title are clear and sharp.
The hand signature is bold and well-preserved, with strong contrast against the blue costume area.
Please review the provided photos, including the front, back and close-up images — they show the exact signed poster offered.
This is a modern reproduction poster, not an original 1972 Graph NHK magazine or original 1972 broadcast poster.
It is hand-signed by Tatsuya Nakadai and comes from a Japanese private collection of Nakadai memorabilia.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
