Japanese Movie Poster Sizes: A Buyer's Guide

Japanese movie poster sizes follow the JIS B-series paper system that Japan standardised in the 1940s, not the American one-sheet. Here is what each size is, what it was made for, and which one suits the space you have.

Why Japanese sizes are different

The B-series is a family of paper sizes where each step down is exactly half the sheet above it. B0 is the largest. Cut it in half and you get two B1 sheets. Halve a B1 and you get two B2 sheets, and so on. Every size keeps the same proportions, so the shapes look consistent no matter the scale. This is why Japanese posters feel taller and narrower than the American one-sheet, which uses a different ratio entirely.

For a buyer, the useful takeaway is simple: a Japanese poster is measured by its B-number, and standard frames exist for the common sizes.

The sizes you will actually encounter

B2, the standard theatrical poster

B2 measures around 51x73 cm, roughly 20x29 inches. This is the size most Japanese theatrical posters were printed at, from the 1950s to today, and it is the size most buyers start with.

B1, the large display poster

B1 measures 73x103 cm, roughly 29x40.5 inches, exactly double the B2. Distributors used B1 for higher-profile releases and cinema lobby display. From the end of the 90s, some were printed on both sides to fit cinema lightboxes.

B0, the cinema banner

B0 measures 103x146 cm, roughly 40.5x57 inches, and is made of two B1 sheets' worth of paper. This was the large-format cinema banner, printed in smaller numbers and less likely to have survived. Custom framing is usually required.

Speed B4, the slim vertical poster

The speed poster, also called B4 or the Japanese insert, measures around 26x73 cm, roughly 10x29 inches. It is a B2 divided vertically, keeping the B2's height at half the width. In effect it is a smaller tatekan: the same tall, narrow column. That shape suits a title set in vertical Japanese lettering (縦書き, tategaki, "vertical writing"), which runs from top to bottom down the poster. The slim format fits narrow gaps and stairwells, and framing is usually custom.

B3, the compact poster

B3 measures 36x51 cm, roughly 14x20 inches, half the B2 and are almost always double sided. It was used for smaller in-store and train stations promotional display. Frames are easy to source.

Tatekan / STB, the tall signboard

The tatekan, short for tate kanban (立看板, "standing signboard"), and often labelled STB, measures 51x146 cm, roughly 20x58 inches. It is a tall, narrow format equal to two B2 posters stacked vertically, designed to slot into the standing advertising frames outside Japanese cinemas and around town, usually one the side of main city roads. The format was phased out in the mid-1970s under new roadside advertising rules aimed at traffic safety, with the last released by the late 1970s. Most come in two pieces that need to be joined, while single-piece or pre-joined examples are scarcer. Custom framing is required.

Chirashi, the promotional flyer

Chirashi (チラシ, "flyer" or "handbill") are the small double-sided promotional handouts given away in cinema lobbies, usually 18x26 cm. They are the easiest to collect in volume, and simple to frame or store in albums. For many collectors they are the entry point to a title before committing to a full poster.

Press sheets and specialty formats

Beyond the standard sizes you will occasionally see press sheets and promotional materials produced for the trade rather than the public. These vary in dimensions and often carry text, credits, or multiple images/logos rather than a single key art image. They appeal to completist collectors and are worth reading the individual listing carefully, since size and format are not standardised.

Quick size comparison

Which size should you buy

B2 fits most rooms and frames without fuss, which is why it is the default for new buyers. Move up to B1 or B0 only if you have the wall and a framing plan, because both need custom or specialist frames. Reach for B3 or chirashi when you want an original at a lower price or you are building a group of several pieces on one wall.

Two points for collectors.

• Larger and rarer formats such as B0 and tatekan tend to survive in smaller numbers, which affects both price and availability.
• Always check the condition notes and printing details on the individual listing, since a poster's era and print run matter as much as its size.