“Whisper of the Heart” / 「耳をすませば」, Original Japanese Movie Poster 1995 with Period Video & LaserDisc Release Sticker, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O374
Sale price$225.00
This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1995 for Whisper of the Heart / 「耳をすませば」, the beloved Studio Ghibli coming-of-age romance directed by Yoshifumi Kondō from a screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki.
This particular example carries an original period heart-shaped promotional sticker announcing the film’s forthcoming Japanese home-video and LaserDisc releases:
「’96 1・1 ビデオ発売」 “Video release: January 1, 1996”
「’96 1・25 LD発売」 “LaserDisc release: January 25, 1996”
The sticker was applied for the film’s contemporary home-entertainment campaign and forms part of this poster’s period commercial history.
Film background
Set in suburban Tokyo, Whisper of the Heart follows Shizuku Tsukishima, a book-loving junior-high-school student with a passion for writing.
While repeatedly borrowing books from her local library, Shizuku notices that the same mysterious name—Seiji Amasawa—appears on many of the checkout cards before hers. Her curiosity eventually leads her to Seiji, an ambitious young violin maker determined to study his craft in Italy.
Their developing relationship forces Shizuku to confront her own creative ambitions and uncertainty about the future. Inspired by an antique figurine known as the Baron, she attempts to write her first novel and discover whether she possesses the discipline to pursue her dreams.
Directed by Yoshifumi Kondō, the film was written by Hayao Miyazaki, based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi, and produced by Studio Ghibli. The principal Japanese voice cast includes Yōko Honna, Issei Takahashi, Takashi Tachibana, Shigeru Muroi, Shigeru Tsuyuguchi, and Keiju Kobayashi.
Whisper of the Heart has become one of Studio Ghibli’s most cherished films, particularly admired for its sensitive treatment of first love, adolescence, creative uncertainty, and the search for an individual voice.
Poster design
The poster uses a bright, open composition centred on Shizuku and Seiji riding together on a bicycle.
Seiji leans forward over the handlebars while Shizuku sits behind him in her red dress, the pair moving toward the viewer with a sense of youthful momentum. Their positioning evokes one of the film’s most memorable emotional sequences and immediately establishes the intimate relationship at the centre of the story.
Behind them rises the distinctive hilltop house containing the antique shop and workshop associated with the Baron. Its intricate wooden balconies, steep roof, surrounding greenery, and brilliant summer sky create a warm and idyllic vision of the film’s suburban setting.
The vertical blue tagline at right reads:
「好きなひとが、できました。」
“I found someone I like.”
The understated wording perfectly captures the film’s gentle and emotionally direct approach to first love.
Two smaller inset images appear at lower left. One shows Shizuku flying through the imagined fantasy world associated with her story, accompanied by the Baron. The other depicts the ensemble performing music together during the film’s celebrated rendition of “Country Roads.”
The large handwritten red title:
「耳をすませば」
dominates the lower section, accompanied by the credit:
「宮崎 駿プロデュース・脚本・絵コンテ／近藤喜文監督作品」
“Produced, written and storyboarded by Hayao Miyazaki; a film directed by Yoshifumi Kondō.”
The familiar Studio Ghibli emblem appears at the upper left, while the production, voice-cast, publishing, and distribution credits run along the lower margin.
A charming illustration of Moon / Muta, the large cream-coloured cat whose wanderings help bring Shizuku and Seiji together, appears at the bottom right.
Period Video and LaserDisc sticker
At left is a large pink heart-shaped sticker announcing the film’s Japanese home-video campaign:
「’96 1・1 ビデオ発売」 「’96 1・25 LD発売」
This sticker is a period promotional addition, applied to advertise the January 1996 Video and LaserDisc releases shortly after the film’s original theatrical run.
Rather than being a later collector alteration, it reflects the poster’s continued official promotional use as the film moved from cinemas into the Japanese home-entertainment market. It provides a distinctive record of the transition between the theatrical and early physical-media campaigns.
Authenticity
Numerous modern Studio Ghibli reproductions and decorative reprints of famous Ghibli imagery circulate today.
The example offered here is an original 1995 Japanese B2 printing, subsequently used during the official period campaign for the film’s 1996 Video and LaserDisc releases.
It is not a modern reproduction, Ghibli retail reprint, or decorative poster.
Release note
This poster was originally printed in 1995 for the Japanese release campaign of Whisper of the Heart and later adapted for continued promotional use through the application of the official home-video and LaserDisc release sticker.
It is a standard Japanese B2-size poster, measuring approximately:
51.5 × 72.8 cm / 20 × 28.7 inches
Condition
Excellent condition. The poster retains bright colour, clean white space, crisp character artwork, and excellent overall display impact.
There are only light signs of age and handling consistent with an original Japanese promotional poster from the mid-1990s. The period heart-shaped release sticker remains firmly attached and presents clearly.
The reverse is blank, as expected.
Reference: O374.
Please review the photographs carefully, as they show the exact poster offered for sale.
This is an original 1995 Japanese Studio Ghibli B2 poster with its period 1996 Video and LaserDisc promotional sticker.
