"Yojimbo (用心棒)", Original Japanese Movie Poster 1967, First Re-Release, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) N196

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1967 for the first re-release of Yojimbo (用心棒), directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshiro Mifune. Japanese re-release posters for Kurosawa’s masterpieces are highly sought after, and this design, capturing Mifune’s iconic intensity, is particularly desirable.

Film background
Originally released in 1961 by Toho, Yojimbo received widespread critical acclaim and has since become one of Kurosawa’s most celebrated achievements. The film follows Sanjuro, a wandering rōnin (masterless samurai), who manipulates two rival factions in a lawless town to his advantage. With its mix of dark humour, stylized violence, and moral ambiguity, the film set a new benchmark in Japanese cinema and cemented Mifune’s reputation as one of the greatest screen actors of all time.

The film’s influence was immense, inspiring Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), an unauthorised remake which prompted Toho and Kurosawa to sue successfully. Kurosawa famously earned more from the lawsuit settlement than from Yojimbo itself. The narrative has continued to inspire remakes, reinterpretations, and homages across global cinema.

Poster design
The 1967 B2 re-release poster presents a bold photographic montage dominated by Mifune wielding his sword in mid-strike, his expression radiating raw intensity. Additional vignettes show key dramatic moments and supporting characters, set against a backdrop of duelling swordsmen and traditional architecture. The large, powerful red calligraphy of the title 「用心棒」 adds weight and drama, while the overall layout embodies Kurosawa’s dynamic cinematic style.

This poster is in excellent condition (please refer to imagery, both front and back, of the exact poster for sale).

It is over 55 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.