Dracula - Bram Stoker 1985 Poplar-sha 1st ed w/obi Gothic-Horror

[PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS]

• Original Author: Bram Stoker
• Adaptation (文): Nakasono Chouko (中ぞの蝶子)
• Title: 吸血鬼ドラキュラ (Kyuuketsuki Dracula)
• Publisher: Poplar-sha (ポプラ社), Tokyo
• Year Published: 1985 (Showa 60) — True First Edition, First Printing
• Series: Poplar Bunko, Kaiki Series (ポプラ社文庫 怪奇シリーズ)
• Format: Bunkoban, 18 × 12 cm. Black-and-white interior illustrations throughout.
• Language: Japanese
• Inclusions: Original obi band (present)

[OVERVIEW]

Published in 1985 by Poplar-sha — one of Japan's most beloved publishers of children's and young adult literature — this first edition of Kyuuketsuki Dracula belongs to the celebrated Kaiki (Weird/Horror) Series, a line of pocket-sized horror classics that introduced a generation of Japanese readers to the great monsters of Western gothic fiction. Adapted by Nakasono Chouko, the text distills Bram Stoker's sprawling Victorian masterpiece into urgent, atmospheric prose perfectly calibrated for young readers who wanted to be frightened. The interior illustrations — rendered in bold, expressive black-and-white line work — are among the most viscerally effective in the series: Dracula commanding his wolves beneath a full moon, the Count looming over a helpless victim, a female vampire stalking a moonlit graveyard. These are images that stay with you.

The original obi band — bearing the irresistible challenge "Read this book at midnight and you will never sleep again!!" — is present, a survival that dramatically elevates the collectible value of this copy. Obi bands are among the most fragile and discarded elements of Japanese book production; their presence on a 40-year-old paperback is a mark of exceptional care.

[IMPORTANT NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: EASY AI TRANSLATION]

While the text is printed in Japanese, you can easily read and study this historic book using modern smartphone AI tools. By taking a photo of any page with your smartphone and using free apps like Google Lens, ChatGPT, or Google Translate, the embedded AI will instantly scan and translate the text on your screen layout. Language is no longer a barrier to owning and enjoying this rare piece of Japanese publishing history.

[WHY THIS VOLUME IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM]

1. Historical & Documentary Value: A true first edition, first printing of a title from Poplar-sha's Kaiki Series — one of the defining horror imprints of 1980s Japanese juvenile publishing. This is the edition that frightened a generation of Japanese schoolchildren, and it has never been more collectible.
2. Obi Band: The original obi band — with its gleefully provocative tagline — is present and intact. In the collector's market for Japanese vintage paperbacks, an obi-present copy commands a significant premium. This is not a detail; it is the difference between a reading copy and a collector's copy.
3. Visual Value: The interior illustrations are a sustained achievement of mid-Showa horror illustration — bold, economical, and deeply atmospheric. As a graphic artifact, this book stands entirely on its own.

[CONDITION]

Very Good Vintage Condition — First Edition with Original Obi Band

• Cover & Obi Band: Cover retains strong color and graphic impact. Original obi band present and intact — an exceptional survival for a 40-year-old paperback. Light age-toning to edges consistent with natural patina. No tears, no writing.
• Binding: Secure and intact.
• Page Edges (Fore-edge): Minor age-spotting to the fore-edge — light and entirely consistent with the age and paper quality of the original printing.
• Interior & Pages: Clean throughout. No writing, no stamps, no ownership marks. Text and illustrations fully legible.
• Please carefully inspect all high-resolution listing photos to verify the exceptional vintage condition.