Max Fujiwara-Lieven is the owner and founder of Japan Poster Shop. A unique boutique based between Tokyo and London; specializing in Rare, Original, Vintage and Contemporary Japanese Film Posters from the early-twentieth century to the 1990s. Their posters are the actual theatre-used promotional material printed in limited quantity and displayed when a film was released during their time.
Considering the material offered, we could not miss the chance to speak to the founder about starting such a business, discovering and selling these posters, their after-sale value, and many other topics.
How did you end up dealing with original Japanese posters?
My mother is Japanese and my father is English. My mother purchased my first poster when I was about 18 years old, which I really liked. When I moved in Japan a few years ago, I started to collect them, and then I realized that many of my friends back in England thought that the posters were really cool. So in the beginning I just started telling them about the posters, and then I turned the whole thing into a business and eventually grew to where we are now.
This is not just a business for us, there are many things motivating us. For one thing, being half-Japanese and returning to Japan, I really wanted to spread the culture of Japan around the world. It gives me a great sense of happiness that buyers from all around the world, such as the U.K., France, America, Australia, Israel and many more places are interested in Japanese posters.
(At this point, the co-founder of Japan Poster Shop, Raine Baljak, comes into the conversation)
Raine: To add to this, COVID-19 has hit many countries very hard. In one way, with us doing what we do, we also help keep some of the small shop owners open. These people have been in this business for over 30 years, and it has been their livelihood. Normally, they would be supported by tourists, but not having those due to this pandemic, our efforts, in a way, help keep the community alive. That is something we find very meaningful about what we do and it helps motivate us as well.
Where do you find these posters though?
To tell you the truth, everywhere really. We buy from reputable auction houses, poster collectors, and from family-owned businesses that have been in the industry for two generations, maybe sometimes three. One of the sources we source the posters from is a building that was built in 1927 and has remained under the same ownership. This is very rare in Japan, because most of such buildings were destroyed during WW2 by the firebombing. Furthermore, sometimes collectors want to sell their whole collection, which occasionally has us driving 750 km to reach them when we think their collections are special.
How many posters would you say you have in your possession at the moment?
The actual number of posters we have in our collection right now is more than 5,000. It just takes a lot of time to put them online because you have to catalogue and stock, examine the condition and photograph, research, then upload and inform the public about each individual poster. Thanks to Raine's system, we keep organized!
How rare would you say these original posters are?
It depends. Some posters that we have are very rare, just 50 or 100 of them in the world, and those are highly sought after by collectors worldwide. Others are easier to get hold of. Nowadays, for example a poster from the 80s does not seem too old to me, although it has actually been printed 40 years ago. A lot of the time, there are people who have been collecting posters for the last 60 years and in their collections, they have loads of stuff. For example, they might have 20 posters of “Blade Runner” just in a room in their house. The older ones, however, are very rare.
What kind of services do you offer to your clients?
When someone orders from us, we make sure to deliver their order the next day. We also offer customized-framing and linen-backing services. What we truly strive for is to offer a Japanese customer service of honesty and transparency, and ensuring that the posters are well-protected. The biggest shame for us would be for something that has survived for decades to be damaged along the way. Obviously, this would make a customer feel awful, and make us feel guilty to both to the poster and to the customer, therefore, we make sure we package each poster very well for its journey.
Does the value of these posters increase with time? Would you say it is an investment to buy one?
100%! For example, if you look at the auctions in Christie's, you will see how significantly their value increases with time. Depending on the condition, the value will rise more over time. Posters are definitely a great investment.
Are there any specific posters in your collection that you feel proud to have discovered?
We have a 1954 Godzilla that we are very proud. It is one of the most collectible Japanese posters, since there are not that many around. Furthermore, a Godzilla from 1955, though it is not a main edition, it is a local edition. In Japan, they print the main posters for the big cinemas, and for the smaller cinemas in region areas, they print smaller budget posters. These are much rarer and limited in print as they are region-specific, so we are proud to have one of those too! Another one is Seven Samurai, which is the most famous Japanese film. This one of the most collectable posters that we have in our collection. We have a number of rare ones, but I would say these are the three that I am most proud of.
So, I guess you only have one copy of those?
Yes, for these three mentioned, because there might be less than a hundred of them in the world, they are extremely rare.
Because I saw the one of “Female Prisoner Scorpion 701 Grudge Son” and I was disappointed to see that it was sold out.
(laughter) Actually, that is our co-founder in the picture, and she is taken!
I guess that explains why there is a note stating “This price does not include the sword or model, Raine Baljak“
(laughter) Exactly, yes. That one is very rare. I have only seen the one actually, and I am always looking, so if I find one, I will let you know.
Do you remember where you sold the poster though? (at this point I simply cannot help my curiosity)
(laughter) Yes, I do remember, it went to Manhattan, New York, USA. To tell you the truth, Meiko Kaji's posters are very sought after. Godzilla, Seven Samurai, Female Convict Scorpion and Casablanca are among the most sought after.
