“David Bowie / Crystal Japan”, Original Japanese RCA Records Promotional Poster 1980, Ultra Rare B2 Landscape Size (73 × 51 cm) S209

This is an original Japanese RCA Records promotional poster, produced in 1980 for David Bowie and closely associated with the Japan-only release of his instrumental single Crystal Japan and the celebrated Takara Shochu “Jun” advertising campaign.

Printed in a landscape format measuring approximately 73 × 51 cm — essentially Japanese B2 dimensions turned horizontally — this is a genuine RCA Japan music-industry promotional poster, using the same image as the Takara liquor advertisement.

Period collector documentation identifies this exact RCA poster as a 1980 Japanese issue, using an image photographed in Japan during the period in which Bowie filmed the Takara Shochu “Jun” campaign. The same portrait was also used in connection with the Japanese “Crystal Japan” single.

Historical background

In early 1980, David Bowie travelled to Japan to participate in an extraordinary advertising campaign for Takara Shuzo’s Shochu “Jun”, specifically its Crystal Jun Rock promotion.

The television advertisements were filmed in Kyoto, at a Zen temple location selected by Bowie himself. For the campaign he provided the haunting instrumental composition that became “Crystal Japan.” Bowie’s official website confirms that the track was used in the Japanese commercial and subsequently released as a Japan-only RCA single in July 1980.

The Japanese 7-inch release was issued by RCA as SS-3270, backed with Bowie’s interpretation of Brecht and Weill’s “Alabama Song.”

The campaign represents one of the most fascinating intersections between David Bowie, Japanese advertising culture and his experimental music of the Berlin / Scary Monsters period.

Poster design

An extraordinarily elegant and restrained Bowie portrait.

Rather than using conventional record-release typography, album artwork or extensive promotional text, the poster presents Bowie almost entirely as an image.

He sits against an ethereal, pale background wearing an immaculate white buttoned shirt, his hair neatly swept back and his expression characteristically cool and unreadable. In his hand is a short tumbler containing a clear drink, subtly preserving the visual connection to the Takara Shochu campaign without displaying any liquor branding whatsoever.

Behind Bowie floats an enormous deep red flower, its saturated crimson petals and dark blue-green foliage providing the sole major burst of colour against the otherwise muted cream, white and pale-blue composition.

The effect is wonderfully surreal.

Bowie appears almost impossibly composed and otherworldly, while the oversized flower introduces a distinctly Japanese visual sensibility—minimal, decorative and dreamlike rather than conventionally rock-and-roll.

At the extreme upper-left corner appears only the blue:

RCA

logo, together with Bowie’s familiar printed:

David Bowie

signature.

There is no album title, no commercial tagline, no pricing, no catalogue advertising and no Takara Shochu branding.

This extreme restraint is what makes the poster so visually powerful.

The RCA promotional version

The distinction between this poster and the better-known Takara Shochu “Jun” advertising material is important.

Takara’s commercial campaign posters were designed to sell the drink and consequently carry product bottles, Japanese advertising copy, branding and price information.

This sheet is instead an RCA Records promotional issue. The alcohol-product advertising has been completely removed, leaving only Bowie’s portrait, the RCA mark and his printed signature.

Period specialist documentation describes this exact design as an “Original RCA Japan poster” from 1980, measuring approximately 28¾ × 20¼ inches, and specifically notes that the image was taken in Japan during Bowie's involvement with the Takara Shochu “Jun” advertisement.

That makes this a particularly desirable piece for Bowie collectors: it belongs to the same celebrated Japanese cultural moment as the Shochu campaign, while functioning as a pure music-industry promotional poster.

“Crystal Japan”

The instrumental itself is one of Bowie’s most distinctive Japan-linked recordings.

Recorded during the 1980 Scary Monsters sessions with producer Tony Visconti, the piece was originally known under the working title “Fuji Moto San” before being released as “Crystal Japan.” Bowie’s official site records its Japanese single release in July 1980 and its use in the Takara television campaign.

The recording is unusually sparse and atmospheric for Bowie, lacking the conventional rock instrumentation associated with many of his singles and instead creating a slow, contemplative electronic soundscape.

It was initially a Japan-only release, adding considerably to the mystique of both the record and the promotional material associated with it. It later became more widely available when issued as the B-side to “Up the Hill Backwards” outside Japan in 1981.

Japan-only collectibility

Original Japanese Bowie promotional material from this period is highly sought after, but this RCA design is particularly elusive.

Unlike commercially sold records, promotional posters were working advertising material, intended for record shops and music-industry display rather than preservation or direct retail sale.

Once a campaign ended, such material was commonly discarded, damaged during display, or simply lost.

The combination of:

David Bowie
RCA Japan
1980
“Crystal Japan”
the Takara Shochu campaign connection
and this exceptionally minimalist Japan-only portrait design

makes this a superb crossover piece for collectors of Bowie, Japanese music memorabilia, record-store advertising and 20th-century graphic design.

Reverse-side provenance detail

The reverse carries a wonderful surviving piece of period retail history.

At the upper-left is handwritten red Japanese identification reading Bowie’s name, apparently added so that the poster could be identified while stored face-inward or rolled among other promotional material.

This is not part of the printed design, but rather a historic storage / inventory annotation on the reverse and is entirely consistent with the poster’s original promotional use.

We regard this kind of period shop annotation as part of the object’s history rather than a meaningful distraction from its presentation.

It is approximately 46 years old.

Condition

Excellent.

A particularly attractive surviving example of this ultra-rare RCA Japan promotional poster.

The portrait remains beautifully preserved, with strong natural skin tones, excellent definition in Bowie’s face and clothing, and particularly vivid colour in the enormous red flower. The RCA logo and printed Bowie signature remain crisp and clear.

There is light age-related handling, subtle surface character and some gentle toning / scattered age spotting, particularly apparent on the reverse and pale areas, all entirely consistent with an original promotional sheet from 1980.

There are no major defects that materially compromise the central portrait or overall visual impact.

The reverse retains the aforementioned period handwritten Japanese identification, providing an appealing trace of its original life as promotional material.

Once framed, it will display exceptionally well.

Please review the front and reverse photographs carefully—they show the exact poster for sale.

This is an original 1980 Japanese RCA Records promotional poster. It is not a reproduction or modern reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.