“Spirited Away” / 「千と千尋の神隠し」, Set of Two Original Japanese Movie Posters 2001 — Advance & Main Theatrical Styles — B2 Size (51 × 73 cm Each)
This listing is for an exceptional matching set of two original Japanese B2 theatrical posters produced for the first-release campaign of Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away / 「千と千尋の神隠し」 in 2001.
The set brings together two principal B2 designs from the film’s original Japanese theatrical campaign:
Style A — Advance / teaser poster: Chihiro in the family car — Reference N252
Style B — Main theatrical poster: Chihiro, the pigs, and the spirit town — Reference N251
Together, the two posters chart the development of the campaign from its mysterious advance promotion to the principal theatrical release. Their contrasting compositions introduce Chihiro first in the familiar human world, then within the extraordinary spirit realm into which she is drawn.
Both are original 2001 Japanese theatrical printings, not later Studio Ghibli shop posters, decorative reproductions, or commercial reprints.
Film background
Spirited Away follows 10-year-old Chihiro Ogino, who is travelling with her parents to their new home when the family enters what appears to be an abandoned town.
After her parents consume food intended for the spirits and are transformed into pigs, Chihiro discovers that she has entered a supernatural realm governed by the powerful witch Yubaba. To survive, she accepts work at Yubaba’s bathhouse and is renamed Sen.
With the help of Haku, Kamaji, Lin, and other inhabitants of the spirit world, Chihiro must preserve her identity, save her parents, and find her way back to the human world.
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, produced by Toshio Suzuki, and animated by Studio Ghibli, the film features music by Joe Hisaishi and was distributed theatrically in Japan by Toho.
Released in Japan on 20 July 2001, Spirited Away became an extraordinary cultural and commercial phenomenon. It broke Japanese attendance and box-office records, won the Golden Bear at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival, and received the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003.
The sequential Japanese poster campaign
These two designs represent distinct stages in the film’s original Japanese promotion.
The Style A advance poster introduced audiences to Chihiro before revealing the supernatural world. The Style B main theatrical poster presented the spirit town, the transformed pigs, and the central danger of the story.
Both carry the same evocative tagline, connecting their very different settings through the promise of a mysterious world beyond the tunnel.
Displayed together, the pair offers a compelling view of how the film’s original campaign moved from quiet anticipation to an expansive presentation of its fantasy setting.
Style A — Advance / teaser poster: Chihiro in the car — N252
The first design was issued as an advance teaser poster, building anticipation before the film’s theatrical opening.
It depicts Chihiro reclining across the rear seat of her family’s car, surrounded by moving boxes, bags, a red school satchel, and a thermos. She holds a bouquet of pink sweet peas tied with a yellow ribbon, while her yellow trainers rest against the packed belongings.
Her expression is tired, detached, and quietly apprehensive. The small farewell card attached to the bouquet reinforces the emotional significance of leaving her old home behind.
The image comes from the ordinary human world at the beginning of the story, before Chihiro discovers the tunnel and crosses into the spirit realm. Rather than revealing the film’s fantasy characters, the poster presents a familiar childhood experience: being carried towards an uncertain future.
The title appears across the upper section in large purple lettering with a soft grey shadow:
「千と千尋の神隠し」
Above it appears:
「宮崎 駿 監督作品」
“A film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.”
The yellow vertical text reads:
「トンネルのむこうは、不思議の町でした。」
“Beyond the tunnel, there was a mysterious town.”
The pale surrounding space, muted blue upholstery, pink flowers, and carefully observed everyday objects give this design a gentle, reflective atmosphere. Its restrained imagery makes it an exceptionally effective advance teaser.
Reference: N252.
Style B — Main theatrical poster: the spirit town and pigs — N251
The second design is the principal theatrical poster associated with the film’s original Japanese release.
Chihiro stands in the foreground wearing her red bathhouse uniform, looking back towards the viewer. Behind the railing, an enormous pig faces outward, while another is partially visible at the lower left, recalling the transformation of her parents.
The background reveals the film’s extraordinary spirit town at night. Red lanterns, illuminated shopfronts, wooden balconies, hanging signs, and narrow passageways create a densely layered supernatural environment.
Dark, translucent spirits occupy the streets and entrances. Their indistinct forms contrast with Chihiro’s clearly drawn face, emphasising her vulnerability within this unfamiliar world.
The yellow vertical tagline reads:
「トンネルのむこうは、不思議の町でした。」
“Beyond the tunnel, there was a mysterious town.”
The principal Japanese title:
「千と千尋の神隠し」
is presented in large white lettering with violet shadowing across the lower portion.
Above it, a red panel carries the yellow director credit:
「宮崎 駿 監督作品」
“A film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.”
Japanese voice-cast names appear along the left side, with the production and distribution credits arranged across the bottom.
This design introduces the film’s essential narrative elements: Chihiro’s bathhouse identity, the transformation of her parents, and the mysterious world in which she must learn to survive.
Reference: N251.
Authenticity
Important authenticity note: official modern reproductions and Studio Ghibli retail posters exist for Spirited Away and should be distinguished from original theatrical material.
The two examples offered here are genuine original Japanese B2 posters printed and distributed for the film’s 2001 first-release theatrical campaign.
They are not later Ghibli shop editions, reproductions, or decorative reprints.
Release and format note
Each poster is an original Japanese B2-size theatrical poster, measuring approximately:
51.5 × 72.8 cm / 20.3 × 28.7 inches
They represent two stages of the film’s original Japanese theatrical promotion:
Style A — Advance teaser campaign — N252
Style B — Principal theatrical campaign — N251
Bringing these two original B2 styles together offers a wonderful opportunity for collectors of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, Japanese animation, and original theatrical poster art.
Condition
Both posters are in excellent+ condition.
They retain vivid colour, crisp character artwork, clear typography, and excellent overall display impact.
Light handling creases, gentle paper undulations, minor edge wear, and small pinholes near the margins are visible. The reverses show some faint handling marks. Both present extremely well and form a visually complementary set when displayed together.
Once framed, these posters will display excellently.
Please review the photographs carefully, including the reverses, as they show the exact two posters included in this listing.
This listing includes:
One original 2001 Japanese B2 Style A advance teaser poster — N252
One original 2001 Japanese B2 Style B main theatrical poster — N251
They are now over 20 years old.
They are not reproductions or reprints.
Certificates of Authenticity included.
