“The Boy and the Heron” (君たちはどう生きるか), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 2023, Hayao Miyazaki / Studio Ghibli, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) S210

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical release poster, printed for the 2023 first Japanese cinema release of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli feature The Boy and the Heron (君たちはどう生きるか / Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka).

The film opened in Japan on 14 July 2023, distributed by Toho, and marked Miyazaki’s return to feature filmmaking approximately ten years after The Wind Rises. Studio Ghibli identifies it as Miyazaki’s 12th theatrical feature as director.

Poster design

An extraordinary example of minimalist Studio Ghibli advertising, dominated almost entirely by the mysterious Grey Heron.

The bird’s enormous face fills virtually the entire B2 sheet, rendered with a loose, expressive combination of deep indigo blue, charcoal-like linework, grey washes and a striking ochre-yellow beak and eye. Huge areas of untouched cream paper surround the image, giving the poster an almost calligraphic or traditional Japanese ink-painting quality.

Rather than relying on the elaborate scenic compositions associated with many earlier Ghibli campaigns, this design offers virtually no narrative information whatsoever. The viewer is presented simply with the strange, intense gaze of the heron—a character whose significance could not be understood until audiences actually saw the film.

At upper left, the poster announces:

7.14
ROADSHOW

while the upper-right corner carries the familiar Studio Ghibli mark.

The Japanese title is integrated vertically into the lower-right portion of the image:

「君たちはどう生きるか」

— literally:

“How Do You Live?”

Alongside it appears:

「宮﨑駿監督作品」

— “A film directed by Hayao Miyazaki.”

The bottom margin retains the official ©2023 Studio Ghibli, TOHO, and importantly NOT FOR SALE markings, confirming its status as genuine theatrical promotional material rather than a commercially sold decorative poster.

The extreme simplicity of the composition gives this piece tremendous wall presence. At first glance it resembles a large-scale piece of contemporary Japanese illustration rather than conventional movie advertising.

The extraordinary no-marketing campaign

This poster has particular historical importance because, before the Japanese premiere, this single poster image was essentially the entirety of Studio Ghibli’s public visual campaign for the film.

Studio Ghibli deliberately adopted an almost unprecedented promotional strategy: no trailer, no scene stills, no plot synopsis and no cast information were released before opening day. Ghibli later confirmed that this poster was the only visual image made public ahead of release.

That makes the poster materially more significant than an ordinary first-release sheet. For months, this enigmatic heron was effectively the public face of Miyazaki’s first feature in a decade.

Audiences entered Japanese cinemas on 14 July 2023 knowing remarkably little about what they were about to see—a deliberate attempt by producer Toshio Suzuki and Studio Ghibli to restore a sense of discovery to theatrical moviegoing.

The visual therefore became one of the most recognisable Japanese film images of 2023 despite—or perhaps because of—the absence of a conventional advertising campaign.

Film background

Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, The Boy and the Heron follows young Mahito Maki, who relocates to the countryside after losing his mother during the Pacific War.

There he encounters a strange Grey Heron who draws him toward an abandoned tower and eventually into an extraordinary alternate world populated by fantastical creatures, mysterious ancestors and shifting boundaries between life and death.

Although the Japanese title is borrowed from Genzaburō Yoshino’s 1937 novel How Do You Live?, Studio Ghibli has explicitly stated that the film itself tells an original Miyazaki story rather than adapting the novel’s narrative.

The film features music by Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi, with production by Toshio Suzuki. The Japanese voice cast includes Soma Santoki, Masaki Suda, Ko Shibasaki, Aimyon, Takuya Kimura, Yoshino Kimura, Shōhei Hino and Kaoru Kobayashi.

International significance

Following its Japanese release, The Boy and the Heron became one of the most internationally acclaimed films of Miyazaki’s career.

It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, as well as the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Animated and the BAFTA Award for Animated Film, confirming the film as one of the major achievements of contemporary animation.

For collectors, this original Japanese poster therefore documents not only Miyazaki’s return to cinema but also an extraordinary experiment in film marketing: a worldwide cultural event initially represented by one strange, beautiful image and almost nothing else.

Condition

Excellent+.

A particularly strong example with beautifully preserved colour, clean cream margins and excellent overall presentation.

The deep blue brushwork, warm ochre beak and eye, and vivid red typography remain exceptionally fresh and well defined. There are only very minor signs of handling or storage consistent with an original theatrical poster, with no significant condition issue affecting the artwork, title or margins.

The sheet presents extremely cleanly overall and retains the crisp, minimalist appearance that is so important to this design.

Once framed, it will display exceptionally well.

Please review the photograph carefully—it shows the exact poster for sale.

This is not a reproduction or decorative reprint. It is an original Japanese theatrical promotional poster from the film’s 2023 first-release campaign.

Certificate of Authenticity included.