“The Wolves” (出所祝い), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1971, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) ZA30

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1971 for the first Japanese release of The Wolves (出所祝い, Shussho Iwai—literally “Celebration of a Prisoner’s Release”), directed by Hideo Gosha (五社英雄) and released by Toho (東宝) on 30 October 1971. A major title in the ninkyō-eiga (chivalry yakuza) tradition, it is also notable as Toho’s first yakuza film, making it an important piece of studio and genre history.

Film background
Set against the violent codes of post-war organised crime, The Wolves follows rival factions and hard-edged men bound by loyalty, reputation, and inevitable betrayal. Gosha—one of the great stylists of 1970s Japanese genre cinema—brings a muscular, modern intensity to the chivalry-yakuza framework, blending period atmosphere with eruptions of brutality and fatalism. The result is a tough, star-driven crime drama that stands as a cornerstone of early-’70s yakuza cinema.

Poster design
A powerhouse of Japanese B2 design: the central figure grips a katana as the cast forms a wall of faces behind him—staring down the viewer with simmering tension—while a burst of blood-red slashes across the title like an act of violence. The background explodes into festival imagery and chaos, while the lower strip depicts the film’s action and conflict in kinetic vignettes. The brush-calligraphy title 出所祝い dominates the sheet with raw impact—one of those posters that looks even better framed, where the contrast between deep blacks and violent red truly punches.

Condition
Very Good. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.

It is over 53 years old!
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
Certificate of Authenticity included.