“Return of Ultraman” (帰ってきたウルトラマン / Kaettekita Ultraman), 1971 Japanese STB Tatekan Poster — Toho Champion Festival Release, Ultra Rare, STB Size (c. 51 × 145 cm) Q241
This is an original Japanese STB tatekan poster issued in Japan for the 1971 Toho Champion Festival theatrical release of Return of Ultraman. Produced in the dramatic STB format—two B2 sheets designed to display together as one tall vertical theatre poster—it is one of the most striking large-format posters from the early 1970s Ultra / kaiju boom. The design presents Ultraman Jack, then promoted simply as the “Returned Ultraman,” at monumental scale above a city-destroying battle with two of the franchise’s most memorable monsters: Gudon and Twin Tail.
Important note on authenticity: original Champion Festival STB posters are exceptionally difficult to find, as they were made for short theatrical use, displayed in cinemas, and often discarded after the program ended. This example is 100% original Japanese theatrical paper from the 1971 release, not a reproduction or later decorative reprint.
Film background
Released in Japan on July 24, 1971 as part of the Toho Champion Matsuri, this theatrical version of Return of Ultraman was assembled from the celebrated two-part television arc featuring Gudon and Twin Tail. The episodes were directed by Ishirō Honda, the director of the original Godzilla and one of the central creative figures of Japanese kaiju cinema, with special effects by Kōichi Takano. The film belongs to the intense early-1970s Second Kaiju Boom, when Tsuburaya Productions’ Ultra series and Toho’s Champion Festival programs brought television heroes and monsters onto the big screen for young audiences.
The cast includes Jirō Dan, Rumi Sakakibara, Nobuo Tsukamoto, and Ken Nishida, with production by Tsuburaya Productions and theatrical release through Toho. The Gudon / Twin Tail storyline is among the defining sequences of Return of Ultraman, remembered for its dramatic tone, urban destruction, and the sense of genuine danger surrounding Ultraman’s battle against two monsters at once. This poster captures that exact appeal: not simply a hero image, but a full-scale kaiju crisis.
Poster design
This STB is a commanding vertical composition. The upper panel is dominated by a huge image of Ultraman Jack, set against a bright blue sky and forming his signature Specium Beam pose. The red title 「帰ってきた ウルトラマン」 stretches across the top in bold, sweeping lettering, while the green vertical copy warns: “Ultraman is in danger! Tokyo is in danger!”—a direct and urgent Champion Festival-style appeal.
The lower panel shifts into full battle spectacle. Gudon appears at lower left, emerging amid explosions and smoke, while Twin Tail coils at lower right in its unmistakable arched form, surrounding the smaller central figure of Ultraman in combat stance. The monsters are labeled in red Japanese text—「グドン」 and 「ツインテール」—and the city setting below heightens the scale of destruction. The composition is especially effective because it balances the clean heroic image of Ultraman above with the darker, chaotic monster action below. Its scale, color, and theatricality make it one of the most visually desirable Ultra-series posters of the period.
Rarity and condition
Japanese STB tatekan posters were produced for actual cinema display and were far less likely to survive intact than smaller standard formats. Champion Festival STBs are scarcer still: they were printed for limited seasonal programs, handled heavily by theatres, and rarely preserved as complete two-panel examples. For Return of Ultraman, and particularly the highly collected Gudon and Twin Tail release, surviving STB examples are considered genuinely rare and are sought after by serious Ultra-series and Japanese tokusatsu collectors.
Condition is excellent, very close to near mint, with only minimal signs of age and handling consistent with original theatrical paper of this period. Colors remain strong, the image presents with exceptional clarity, and the full two-panel format retains tremendous display presence. Please inspect the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale. This is not a reproduction or reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.
