Posted on September 10, 2025

The MCU in Japan, part 2

In part 1, I described the joys of movie programs sold in Japanese theaters for everything under the sun. This time I’ll show you something else found in theaters, just as collectible, but this time it’s free.

Theater lobby in Osaka, July 2024

Two or three months before a movie opens, promotion begins with ads, trailers, and print media. The print media is the version you can take home with you, so every theater has a rack of what the locals call a “chirashi.” We know it as a flyer. I haven’t seen any etymology on the term, but I have reason to believe it’s a portmanteau of “tear sheet,” named back when they came on a big roll and you’d pull one off like a paper towel.

Chirashis are a unique artifact measuring about 7″ x 10″ and it’s their limited availability that makes them collectible; when the movie’s gone, they disappear with it. After that, you can only find them in second hand stores or online auctions. What makes them interesting is their production values. They’re like mini-posters (with promo on the back) and can look completely different from a one-sheet or the cover of a program book.

Read more about chirashis as collectibles here

Chirashi rack in a Tokyo theater, July 2024

When you visit a Japanese theater, you’re encouraged to sweep up as many as you like (within reason), and I’m sure collectors come by periodically to do just that. You want to look carefully, because some films earn more than one chirashi. Some come in the form of foldouts. Some are actually pamphlets. Leftovers are probably pulped, but it wouldn’t surprise me to learn of secret pipelines directly to second-hand stores. I’ve been to a few, and expired chirashis are there in abundance.

Anyway, since I rely on online auctions for my MCU movie programs, I go for the copies that come bundled with chirashis as bonus items. I haven’t found a chirashi for every Marvel movie, but here’s what the current collection looks like.