“Throne of Blood” (蜘蛛巣城), Original First Release Japanese Movie Poster 1957, Akira Kurosawa, Rare B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) L258A

This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed in 1957 for the first release of Throne of Blood (蜘蛛巣城 / Kumonosu-jō), Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece of samurai cinema and one of the greatest screen adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Directed by Akira Kurosawa and produced by Toho, the film stars Toshirō Mifune as the ambitious warrior Washizu Taketoki and Isuzu Yamada as Lady Asaji, one of the most chilling figures in Kurosawa’s cinema. Original first-release Japanese posters for Throne of Blood are exceptionally rare, and this is a major piece for collectors of Kurosawa, Mifune, Toho, and post-war Japanese film history.

Film background
Released in 1957, Throne of Blood transposes Shakespeare’s Macbeth into the world of feudal Japan, replacing medieval Scotland with a fog-shrouded landscape of samurai ambition, prophecy, betrayal, and doom. Kurosawa’s use of Noh theatre, stark landscapes, ritualised movement, and psychological intensity gives the film a uniquely Japanese visual and dramatic language.

Mifune’s performance as Washizu is one of his most powerful collaborations with Kurosawa: ferocious, haunted, and increasingly consumed by fear. Isuzu Yamada’s Lady Asaji is equally unforgettable, her stillness and controlled menace making her one of the director’s most terrifying characters.

Today, Throne of Blood is widely regarded as one of Kurosawa’s essential works and one of cinema’s definitive Shakespeare adaptations.

Poster design
This original 1957 Japanese B2 is a superb country-of-origin design. At centre, Toshirō Mifune stands as Washizu, dressed in samurai costume and gripping his weapon, his intense expression immediately conveying suspicion, ambition, and impending violence. At upper left, Isuzu Yamada appears as Lady Asaji, posed with eerie stillness beside the castle interior, while the upper-right background shows mounted warriors advancing through thick fog — one of the film’s defining visual motifs.

Across the centre, bold red text reads:

「黒沢明 監督作品」
“A film directed by Akira Kurosawa.”

The bottom section is dominated by the enormous yellow title 蜘蛛巣城 — “Spider’s Web Castle” — rendered in powerful brush-style lettering. The Toho roundel appears at upper right, with dense cast and production credits printed along the lower margin, including major Toho names associated with Kurosawa’s ensemble.

The overall effect is commanding and atmospheric: a poster that captures the film’s world of fog, bloodline ambition, prophecy, and violent destiny with extraordinary clarity.

Rarity and collector significance
Authentic 1957 first-release Japanese B2 posters for Throne of Blood are among the most difficult Kurosawa posters to source. Many surviving examples from this period show heavy theatre use, pinholes, fold wear, paper loss, or significant age toning. A strong, displayable country-of-origin example is therefore a major acquisition.

This poster sits at the intersection of several important collecting fields: Akira Kurosawa, Toshirō Mifune, Japanese Shakespeare adaptations, Toho cinema, samurai film, and 1950s Japanese graphic design.

Condition
Excellent / near mint vintage condition. Please review the photos carefully, as they show the exact poster for sale, including the front and reverse.

The poster presents beautifully, with rich colour, strong image clarity, crisp title lettering, and exceptional display presence. Minor signs of age and handling may be visible, consistent with an original Japanese theatrical poster from the 1950s, but overall this is an outstanding survivor.

This poster is an original Japanese theatrical B2 from the 1957 first-release campaign.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

It is nearly 70 years old!

Certificate of Authenticity included.