This is an original B2 Japanese poster, printed in 1988, for the release of “Grave of the Fireflies” (火垂るの墓).

It premiered in Japan on April 16, 1988, and was billed as a double-feature with “My Neighbor Totoro”.

“Grave of the Fireflies” is a 1988 Japanese animated war tragedy film based on the 1967 semi-autobiographical short story of the same name by Akiyuki Nosaka. Set in the city of Kobe, Japan, the film tells the story of two siblings, Seita and Setsuko, and their desperate struggle to survive during the final months of the Second World War.

On the top of the poster, it states the following: “I’ve come to deliver something I’ve forgotten” (忘れものを、届けにきました). In the center it reads: “At 4 and 14, they tried to survive” (4歳と14歳で、生きようと思った).

This poster is the most common image associated with the movie, as it’s always used for DVD covers throughout the world. The image was created with the “michiyuki” travel scene from kabuki and other traditional art forms in mind.