“STAR WARS” (1982) – GIANT JAPANESE TWO-SHEET STATION-FRONT “EKI-MAE” BILLBOARD – APPROX. 9× B2 – TOM JUNG

Holy Grail Rarity | Largest Japanese Star Wars Billboard Format Known to Us | Approx. 9× B2 / 2.27× B0 | Unused, Never Pasted | Japanese-Dubbed 1982 Re-Release | Tom Jung Artwork | Linen-Backed by Fourth Cone Restoration

A monumental, original Japanese giant two-sheet station-front billboard poster for the 1982 Japanese-dubbed re-release of Star Wars, featuring Tom Jung’s legendary Style “A” artwork at extraordinary scale. Despite its monumental dimensions, it remains surprisingly practical to display for a serious collector, gallery, or institution — provided, of course, there is sufficient wall space.

This is not the standard Japanese B2 poster. It is also not simply the already rare B0 eki-bari station-poster format. This is a substantially larger, two-sheet eki-mae / station-front public display billboard, measuring approximately 157.5 × 215.9 cm / 62 × 85 in when assembled.

In scale, this is roughly equivalent to nine standard Japanese B2 posters — essentially a three-by-three wall of B2s — and more than double the area of a standard Japanese B0.

For collectors, this is a true top-tier Japanese Star Wars grail: an unused, never-pasted station-front advertising survivor, sourced from Nagasaki, 駅前分 / eki-mae allocation, meaning station-front use or station-front allocation. The verso has “スター・ウォーズ” stamped. 

To our knowledge, this is the largest format Japanese Star Wars poster we have ever encountered, and the largest documented Japanese Star Wars billboard size we are aware of having come to market. One other example has been identified by us in the highly regarded StarWarsMoviePoster.com reference archive, where it is retained as an archived collection example and is not offered for sale.

We are not aware of this giant station-front format having previously surfaced at a prominent film-poster auction or being publicly offered for sale elsewhere.

Linen-Backed by Fourth Cone Restoration - entire process is documented in a long and short form video YOUTUBE LINK HERE

Date & Japanese Theatrical Context

Star Wars first opened theatrically in Japan in 1978, following its original U.S. release in 1977. This poster belongs to the later 1982 Japanese-dubbed re-release campaign, a historically important moment in the film’s Japanese exhibition history.

The poster promotes the film as スター・ウォーズ 日本語版 — the Japanese-language version. This is significant because the original Japanese theatrical release was presented for Japanese audiences before this dubbed re-release campaign. The 1982 poster therefore represents the campaign that brought Star Wars back to Japanese cinemas with the major selling point of a fully Japanese-dubbed presentation.

The bold orange text blocks at lower left advertise the 日本語版 / Japanese version, making this poster not only a spectacular display piece, but also a key artifact from the localization history of Star Wars in Japan.

The Film & Its Place in Cinema History

Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars became one of the most influential science-fiction and space-opera films ever made. Its impact on modern cinema, visual effects, franchise filmmaking, merchandising, and global fan culture is almost impossible to overstate.

Decades later, Star Wars remains one of the most important and recognizable entertainment properties in the world. Original vintage advertising material for the film is already intensely collected; giant-format Japanese public-display paper sits in a different category altogether.

This example combines several of the most desirable elements in Star Wars poster collecting:

Tom Jung’s iconic artwork
Japanese theatrical campaign history
1982 Japanese-dubbed release significance
Massive two-sheet station-front format
Unused, never-pasted survival
Nagasaki provenance
Professional linen backing by Fourth Cone Restoration
Only one other publicly identified archive example known to us

Design Notes

Tom Jung’s Style “A” artwork is one of the most famous and collectible movie-poster images ever created. On this giant Japanese billboard, the image has enormous visual impact.

Iconic elements visible on the sheet include:

• The English tagline “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…” at the upper left
• Luke Skywalker raising his lightsaber in a brilliant burst of light
• Princess Leia in the foreground
• Darth Vader’s helmet looming in the background
• The Death Star at upper left
• X-wings racing across the image
• C-3PO and R2-D2 at lower right
• Large blue-gradient STAR WARS logo across the lower image
• Japanese title スター・ウォーズ printed below in red
• Orange 日本語版 blocks advertising the Japanese-language dubbed version
• Japanese cast and credits block at lower right
• 20th Century Fox, Shochiku, and Eirin approval emblems
• Oscar statuette and awards callout at lower left

About the Oscar callout: period advertising often promoted Star Wars with a “seven awards” message. More precisely, at the 50th Academy Awards, Star Wars won six competitive Oscars, plus a Special Achievement Award for Benjamin Burtt Jr.’s alien, creature, and robot voices.

The Giant Two-Sheet Eki-Mae / Station-Front Billboard Format and Why It’s So Hard to Find

Japan’s standard theatrical poster size is B2, and standard B2 Star Wars posters were made for ordinary cinema advertising and distribution. Larger public-display formats are dramatically rarer.

Even the Japanese B0 / eki-bari station-poster format is considered elite and extremely difficult to find (less than 10 known examples). This example is larger and rarer still.

This two-sheet display measures approximately 157.5 × 215.9 cm / 62 × 85 in, making it approximately:

9.07 times the area of a standard Japanese B2
2.27 times the area of a standard Japanese B0

That makes this one of the most physically impressive Japanese Star Wars posters known to us.

The term 駅前 / eki-mae is particularly important and refers to the area in front of a station. In this context, there is strong provenance to indicate station-front allocation or use, supporting the poster’s identity as a public-facing station-front advertising piece rather than ordinary theater-lobby paper.

These posters were working advertising objects. They were intended to be pasted directly to designated public display surfaces — station-front boards, walls, or billboard spaces — where they would be seen by commuters and passersby. Once pasted, a poster of this size and type would have been extremely difficult, if not practically impossible, to remove intact in collectible condition.

That is what makes this example so extraordinary. It appears to have survived because it was never pasted or displayed, remaining folded and stored for decades before discovery.

With no official print records currently known, we will not claim an exact print run — but all evidence points to an extraordinarily small production. Standard Japanese B2 theatrical posters for a major nationwide film campaign could exist in very large numbers, potentially in the tens of thousands. This giant two-sheet eki-mae / station-front billboard was in a completely different category: a site-specific public advertising piece made for designated station-front placements, not for ordinary cinema display. Given its 62 × 85 in scale, two-sheet construction, thick direct-paste stock, we believe production was likely measured in the low tens of complete sets, if that. Survival would have been lower still: once pasted to a station-front billboard, an example of this type would have been virtually impossible to remove intact. This unused, never-pasted survivor may represent one of the only chances collectors will ever have to own this format.

About the Artist: Tom Jung

Tom Jung is one of the most important poster artists associated with the original Star Wars campaign. His Style “A” artwork helped define the mythic visual identity of the film: Luke raising the lightsaber, Leia at his side, Vader looming behind, and the galaxy opening around them.

This Japanese 1982 dubbed re-release billboard uses that legendary composition but presents it at an almost overwhelming scale. The result is not merely a poster, but a massive public-display version of one of the most recognizable images in modern cinema history.

For Star Wars collectors, Tom Jung artwork remains one of the most desirable visual links to the original film’s global release history.

Provenance & Known Examples

This example was sourced in Nagasaki, Japan.

Before linen backing, the reverse carried important operational markings, including a reverse title stamp.

Only one other example has been identified by us in a public reference archive: the archived example held by StarWarsMoviePoster.com, where the format is catalogued as a Japanese Star Wars Style “A” Awards Re-release Billboard / B0 size. That example is retained as a collection archive example and is not offered for sale.

To our knowledge, this is the only currently available example of this extraordinary Japanese Star Wars station-front billboard format.

Condition Report

Overall presentation: Near Mint display presentation / museum-grade after conservation.

This poster is an unused survivor. It was never pasted, never installed on a station-front billboard, and survived folded in storage for decades before discovery.

The poster has now been professionally conserved and linen-backed by Fourth Cone Restoration, giving it a premium display presentation and ensuring long-term stability.

Linen-Backed by Fourth Cone Restoration - entire process is documented in a long and short form video YOUTUBE LINK HERE

Conservation summary:

• Professional linen backing by Fourth Cone Restoration
• Flattening and stabilization of the original two-sheet poster
• Preservation of an unused, never-pasted survivor
• Final presentation now reads as near mint for display
• Fourth Cone Restoration treatment documentation/certificate included with the sale 

Authenticity: Original 1982 Japanese theatrical station-front billboard poster — not a reproduction, not a modern reprint.

Documentation: Certificate of Authenticity included. Fourth Cone Restoration treatment documentation/certificate included.

Please refer to the images provided; this is the exact poster offered. Final post-linen-backing imagery to follow. Additional imagery available on request.

Specification Block

Film: Star Wars
Country: Japan
Year: 1982
Campaign: Japanese-dubbed re-release / 日本語版
Artwork: Tom Jung Style “A”
Format: Giant two-sheet station-front / eki-mae billboard display
Size: Approx. 157.5 × 215.9 cm / 62 × 85 in assembled
Scale: Approx. 9.07 Japanese B2 posters by area; approx. 2.27× standard Japanese B0
Construction: Two sheets
Display use: Station-front public advertising; direct-paste billboard use
Provenance: Sourced from Nagasaki, Japan
Condition: Unused survivor; never pasted; professionally linen-backed by Fourth Cone Restoration; presents as near mint for display
Known examples: One other publicly identified archive example known to us; not offered for sale

Summary

This is one of the most extraordinary Japanese Star Wars posters we have ever handled: a giant two-sheet 1982 Japanese-dubbed re-release station-front billboard, measuring approximately 62 × 85 inches when assembled.

It is not the standard B2 poster. It is not even simply the already rare B0 station-poster format. This is a true eki-mae / station-front public advertising display, roughly the size of nine Japanese B2 posters and more than double the area of a standard Japanese B0.

Sourced from Nagasaki. It appears to have survived only because it was never pasted up. Once a poster of this type was glued to a station-front billboard, removal in collectible condition would have been virtually impossible.

Featuring Tom Jung’s legendary Star Wars artwork and promoting the 1982 Japanese-dubbed theatrical campaign, this is an unused, linen-backed survivor from one of the most desirable Star Wars poster categories: giant-format Japanese public-display paper.

A museum-level Japanese Star Wars billboard survivor — enormous, unused, professionally conserved, and to our knowledge the only example currently available to collectors.

*Please note the price is fixed for this item. It is not included in any of our periodic sales (e.g. Black Friday)!*