The Japanese box office landscape in 2022

The Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, Inc. holds an annual New Year press conference to share the key trends and highlights in the Japanese box office landscape of the previous year. This year's edition was held on 31 Jan 2023 and here are the highlights in 2022:

- Total box office takings increased by 31.6% to JPY 213.111 billion.

- Total cinema visits increased by 32.4% to 152.005 million.

- Prior to the pandemic in 2019, the total box office takings were at a record high in 20 years i.e. JPY 261.18 billion but 2020 saw a dip to only JPY 143.2 billion and 2021 saw a slight improvement to JPY 161.8 billion.

- There were 634 Japanese movies screened in 2022 with only 26 achieving box office takings of above JPY 1 billion and this was lower than the 32 movies that achieved the same in 2021. However, as compared to 2021 when there was only one movie that achieved total takings of above 10 billion, there were 3 movies which passed this milestone and all 3 of them were animation films - "ONE PIECE FILM RED" (JPY 19.7 billion), "Gekijouban Jujutsy Kaisen 0" (JPY 13.8 billion) and "Suzume no tojimari" (JPY 13.15 billion).

- As for foreign movies, there were 509 films screened in 2022 with 15 titles passing the JPY 1 billion mark. This was higher than 2021's 5 films which made the mark. In terms of box office takings, 2022 saw a high of JPY 66.532 billion which was almost double of 2021's total (98.3% increase). The No.1 foreign movie was "Top Gun Maverick" which was the overwhelming hit at JPY 13.57 billion followed by "Jurassic World Dominion" (JPY 6.32 billion) and "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" (JPY 4.6 billion).

Here are the Japanese films which achieved box office takings of above JPY 1 billion in 2022. Those which are marked with an asterisk are still showing in cinemas so the final box office figures will be higher than quoted below:

Japanese movies

1) ONE PIECE FILM RED - JPY 19.7bn *

2) Gekijouban Jujutsu Kaisen 0 - JPY 13.8bn

3) Suzume no tojimari - JPY 13.15bn *

4) Meitantei Conan Halloween no hanayome - JPY 9.78bn

5) Kingdom 2 Harukanaru daichi 3 - JPY 5.16bn

6) Shin Ultraman - JPY 4.44bn

7) 99.9 Keiji senmon bengoshi THE MOVIE - JPY 3.01bn

8) Yomei 10 nen / Chinmoku no Parade - JPY 3.00bn

10) Confidence Man JP Eiyuuhan - JPY 2.89bn

11) Eiga Doraemon Nobita no uchuu shosensou 2021 - JPY 2.69bn

12) Dragon Ball Chou Super Hero - JPY 2.51bn

13) Eiga Gotoubun no hanayome - JPY 2.24bn

14) Crayon Shinchan Mononoke ninja chinpuuden - JPY 2.04bn

15) Anata no ban desu Gekijouban - JPY 2.00bn

16) Gekijouban Uta*Prince-sama Maji LOVE Stylish Tours - JPY 1.98bn *

17) Eiga Osomatsu-san - JPY 1.67bn

18) Konya, sekai kara kono koi ga kietemo - JPY 1.53bn

19) Gekijouban Tenseishitara suraimu datta Guren no kizuna hen - JPY 1.50bn*

20) Karadasagashi - JPY 1.18bn

21) Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night - JPY 1.16bn

22) HiGH&LOW THE WORST X - JPY 1.14bn

23) Shikei ni itaru yamai / Kido senshi Gundam Cucuruz Doan no shima - JPY 1.10bn

25) Eiga Yurukyan - JPY 1.08bn

26) Gekijouban Free! - the Final Stroke - Gohen - JPY 1.0bn*

The Best 10 and Worst 10 Japanese films in 2022 as selected by seasonal magazine "Eiga Geijutsu"

"Eiga Geijutsu" is a seasonal movie critics magazine with scriptwriter Arai Haruhiko as its chief editor. Every year, it releases its own best 10 and worst 10 Japanese movies ranking as selected by its panel of judges including movie critics, movie directors, scriptwriters, producers, cinema staff and the general public. 

Perhaps due to the niche nature of this magazine and the composition of the judging panel, the annual results do raise eyebrows for various reasons. One trend that is quite hard to ignore is, commercial films and box-office hits tend to make up the worst 10 list while indie or arthouse films appear quite prominently in the best 10 list. And the winning films in other movie awards tend to appear in the worst 10 ranking. Even past blockbuster hits or those which did very well in overseas movie awards like "Okuribito" or "Manbiki Kazoku" had also won the dubious honour of No.1 in the worst 10 ranking for 2008 and 2018.

And the lack of consistency in the results also shows in instances in the past when a single film appeared in both rankings e.g. "Kishibe no Tabi" starring Asano Tadanobu, Fukatsu Eri & Aoi Yu which was No.9 in the best 10 list but No.8 in the worst 10 list. Ironically, this year's No.1 in the Best 10 ranking is also the No.8 in the Worst 10 ranking.

Apparently, the final scores for the best 10 ranking are said to be derived by deducting the votes for the worst 10 ranking from those received for the best 10 ranking. Technically speaking, if the votes for the best ranking exceeds the worst ranking (positive difference), the film then has a chance of getting into the top 10 best ranking. The worst 10 ranking is derived purely from the votes received in this category. As such, that is the reason why you can see the same film appear in both rankings. However, this system had been criticised before for being vulnerable to manipulation.

And ever since the animation film "Kono sekai no katasumi ni" won the Best One title in 2016, this annual ranking excluded animation films from their consideration starting from 2017 which was seen as a display of the magazine's and judging panel's hostile attitude towards animation. In response to the criticism, it was said that animation and real-life films are different types of cinematic art and shouldn't be judged together.

In case you want to see the rankings for the earlier years back to 2007, you can check it out here.

Personally, I don't think that the films in the worst 10 list are all bad and some of the selections do make me scratch my head over the reasons for their inclusion. As such, please don't take this ranking too personally or seriously as it is ultimately just a reflection of a judging panel's tastes like any other ranking or movie awards. And what you like may jolly well be different from what the critics have in mind anyway.

The ironic thing is, just days earlier when the Nippon Academy Awards' nominee list was released, 3 of their Best Film nominees are actually in the top 3 of this worst 10 ranking. Uncanny coincidence or a barely-concealed dig at these films or the Nippon Academy?

Best 10 of 2022

1) Keiko Me wo sumasete

2) Yoake made basutei de

3) Tenjou no hana

4) Fuyusoubi

5) Yuugata no otomodachi

6) Kochira Amiko

7) My Small Land

8) Ai nanoni

9) Maki no iru sekai

10) Yodaka no kataomoi

Worst 10 of 2022

1) Rurou no tsuki

2) Shin Ultraman

3) Aru Otoko

4) Laageri yori ai wo komete

5) Bosei

6) Shikei ni itaru yamai

7) LOVE LIFE

8) Keiko Me wo sumasete

9) Tokyo 2020 Olympic SIDE:B / Hyakka

Google's Year in Search 2022 - Japan

Google announced its Year in Search 2022 i.e. the most searched keywords, individuals, dramas and movies etc. for various countries and here are the results for Japan. For the full list, please refer to here.

As compared to the winners at Yahoo Japan's search awards, it does seem like the users of both search engines have differing interest areas. Have you searched online for any of the individuals/dramas/movies listed here or in Yahoo's list?

Individuals (general)

1) Abe Shinzo

2) Ueshima Ryuuhei

3) Watanabe Hiroyuki

4) Yamagami Tetsuya

5) Kobayashi Maya

6) Hirano Ayumu

7) Hanyu Yuzuru

8) Kagawa Teruyuki

9) Queen Elizabeth

10) Nakamoto Kouji

Dramas

1) Mystery to iu nakare

2) Roppongi Class

3) My Family

4) silent

5) Kamakuradono no 13 nin

6) Shinhannin Flag Shinsouhen

7) Chimudondon

8) Fight Song

9) Shinainaru boku e satsui wo komete

10) Kurosagi

Movies

1) Suzume no tojimari

2) ONE PIECE FILM RED

3) Shin Ultraman

4) Top Gun Maverick

5) Jurassic World Dominion

6) Yomei 10 nen

7) Spiderman No Way Home

8) Confidence Man JP Eiyuuhen

9) Drive My Car

10) Karadasagashi

Top 32 Japanese movies in 2021 with box office takings above JPY 1 billion

Please take note of the following:

- titles with a * are still showing in cinemas so the box office takings figures quoted here are not final

- numbers in the brackets are the box office takings

- as the top 3 movies are all animation films, No.4's "ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM “Record of Memories”" is the top real-life action film in 2021

1) Shin Evangelion Gekijouban (10.28 bn)

2) Meitantei Conan Hiiro no dangan (7.65 bn)

3) Ryu to sobakasu no hime (6.6 bn)

4) ARASHI Anniversary Tour 5×20 FILM “Record of Memories” (4.55 bn) *

5) Tokyo Revengers (4.5 bn)

6) Rurouni Kenshin Saishusho The Final (4.35 bn)

7) Shin Kaishaku Sangokushi (4.03 bn)

8) Hanataba mitai na koi wo shita (3.81 bn)

9) Masquerade Night (3.81 bn)

10) Boku no Hero Academy THE MOVIE World Heroes Mission (3.39 bn) *

11) STAND BY ME Doraemon 2 (2.78 bn) 

12) Eiga Entotsu machi no Poupelle (2.7 bn)

13) Rurouni Kenshin Saishusho The Beginning (2.5 bn)

14) Kido Senshi Gundam Senkou no Hathaway (2.23 bn)

15) Takizawa Kabuki ZERO 2020 The Movie (2.14 bn)

16) Yakusoku no Neverland (2.03 bn)

17) Gekijouban Pocket Monster Koko (2.02 bn)

18) Gintama THE FINAL (1.9 bn)

19) Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Nazo meki! Hana no Tenkasu Gakuen (1.77 bn)

20) Soshite, baton wa watasareta (1.72 bn) *

21) Character (1.6 bn)

22) Gekijouban Sword Art Online Progressive Hoshinaki yoru no Aria (1.43 bn)

23) The Fable Korosanai koroshiya (1.42 bn)

24) Gekijouban Kinou nani tabeta (1.39 bn) *

25) Eiga Sumikkogurashi Aoi tsukiyo no hohou no ko (1.26 bn) *

26) Meitantei Conan Hiiro no fuzai shoumei (1.24 bn)

27) Rougo no shikin ga arimasen! (1.24 bn) *

28) Okusama wa, toriatsukai chuui (1.19 bn)

29) Moeyo Ken (1.18 bn)

30) Inochi no teishaba (1.12 bn)

31) Kaguyasama wa kokurasetai ~ Tensaitachi no renai zunousen ~ Final (1.06 bn)

32) Honey Lemon Soda (1 bn)

Source: Natalie

Top 20 bestselling Japanese movies in 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the box office takings in JPY / * indicates that the movie is still being screened in cinemas

1) Gekijouban Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Ressha Hen (36.55 billion) *

2) Kyou kara ore wa!! Gekijouban (5.37 billion)

3) Confidence Man JP Princess Hen (3.84 billion)

4) Eiga Doraemon Nobita no Shin Kyouryuu (3.35 billion)

5) Jiko Bukken Kowai Madori (2.34 billion)

6) Ito (2.27 billion)

7) Gekijouban Violet Evergarden (2.13 billion) *

8) Kaiji  Final Game (2.06 billion)

9) Gekijouban Fate / stay night [Heaven's Feel] III spring song (1.95 billion)

10) Boku no hero academia THE MOVIE Heroes: Rising (1.79 billion)

11) Otoko wa tsurai yo okaeri Tora-san (1.47 billion)

12) Inunakimura (1.41 billion)

13) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (1.34 billion)

14) Tsumi no koe (1.22 billion) *

15) Asadake! (1.21 billion)

16) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (1.19 billion)

17) Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Gekitotsu! Rakuga Kingdom to hobo yonin no yuusha (1.18 billion)

18) Gozen 0 ji, kiss shinikiteyo (1.17 billion)

19) Lupin Sansei THE FIRST (1.16 billion)

20) Shijinsou no Satsujin (1.09 billion)

Source: Natalie

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 11 & 12 April 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (339)

2) Ichido shindemita (330)

3) Parasite (128)

4) Fukushima 50 (350)

5) Inunakimura (210)

6) Kamen Byoutou (328)

7) Yayoi, Sangatsu Kimi wo aishita 30 nen (299)

8) Midsommar (106)

9) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nano ni Torawareta satsujinki (322)

10) Captive State (47)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 4 & 5 April 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (339)

2) Ichido shindemita (330)

3) Parasite (128)

4) Kamen Byoutou (328)

5) Inunakimura (210)

6) Fukushima 50 (350)

7) Yayoi, Sangatsu Kimi wo aishita 30 nen (299)

8) PSYCHO-PASS 3 FIRST INSPECTOR (35)

9) Midsommar (106)

10) Mishima Yukio vs Toudai Zenkyoto 50nenme no Shinjitsu (95)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 28 & 29 Mar 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Ichido shindemita (330)

2) Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (339)

3) Kamen Byoutou (328)

4) Parasite (128)

5) Fukushima 50 (350)

6) Yayoi, Sangatsu Kimi wo aishita 30 nen (299)

7) Inunakimura (210)

8) PSYCHO-PASS 3 FIRST INSPECTOR (35)

9) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

10) Midsommar (106)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 21 & 22 Mar 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (339)

2) Ichido shindemita (330)

3) Fukushima 50 (350)

4) Parasite (128)

5) Kamen Byoutou (328)

6) Yayoi, Sangatsu Kimi wo aishita 30 nen (299)

7) Mishima Yukio vs Todai Zenkyoutou 50 nenme no shinjitsu (95)

8) Midsommar (106)

9) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

10) Inunakimura (210)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 14 & 15 Mar 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Fukushima 50 (350)

2) Kamen Byoutou (328)

3) Parasite (128)

4) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

5) Midsommar (106)

6) Kizoku Kourin PRINCE OF LEGEND (201)

7) Inunakimura (210)

8) Gekijouban SHIROBAKO (158)

9) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

10) Judy (283)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 8 & 9 Mar 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Fukushima 50 (350)

2) Kamen Byoutou (328)

3) Parasite (128)

4) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

5) Inunakimura (210)

6) Gekijouban SHIROBAKO (158)

7) Midsommar (106)

8) Judy (283)

9) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

10) 1917 (316)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 29 Feb & 1 Mar 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Parasite (128)

2) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

3) Gekijouban SHIROBAKO (158)

4) Inunakimura (210)

5) The Call of the Wild (338)

6) Midsommar (106)

7) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

8) 1917 (316)

9) Digimon Adventure LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna (48)

10) Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (187)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 22 & 23 Feb 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Parasite (128)

2) Sumaho wo otoshitadake nanoni Toraware no satsujinki (322)

3) Inunakimura (210)

4) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

5) 1917 (316)

6) Digimon Adventure LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna (48)

7) Midsommar (106)

8) Charlie's Angels (306)

9) Bombshell (200)

10) AI Houkai (345)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 15 & 16 Feb 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Parasite (128)

2) 1917 (316)

3) Inunakimura (210)

4) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

5) AI Houkai (345)

6) Frozen 2 (382)

7) Goodbye Uso kara hajimaru jinsei kigeki (153)

8) Cats (378)

9) Gekijouban Kishi Ryusentai Ryuu Souja VS Lupan Ranger VS Pato Ranger (244)

10) Kaiji Final Game (332)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 8 & 9 Feb 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Otaku ni koi wa muzukashii (303)

2) Inunakimura (210)

3) AI Houkai (345)

4) Parasite (2)

5) Gekijouban Kishi Ryusentai Ryuu Souja VS Lupan Ranger VS Pato Ranger (244)

6) Cats (378)

7) Frozen 2 (382)

8) Kaiji Final Game (332)

9) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (377)

10) Bad Boys For Life (326)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 1 & 2 Feb 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) AI Houkai (345)

2) Cats (378)

3) Parasite (2)

4) Kaiji Final Game (332)

5) Frozen 2 (382)

6) Bad Boys For Life (326)

7) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (377)

8) Knives Out (134)

9) Uso happyaku Kyomachi Royale (160)

10) Last Letter (260)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 20 bestselling Japanese movies in 2019

Numbers in brackets indicate the amount of box office takings while those with a star indicate that it is still showing in cinemas. For the rest of the ranking up to No.40, please refer to the source:

1) Tenki no Ko (JPY 14.06 bn)*
2) Meitantei Conan Konjou no Fist (JPY 9.37bn)
3) Kingdom (JPY 5.73bn)
4) ONE PIECE STAMPEDE (JPY 5.55bn)
5) Eiga Doraemon Nobita no getsumen tansaki (JPY 5.02bn)
6) Masquerade Hotel (JPY 4.64bn)
7) Dragon Ball Chou Broly (JPY 4bn)
8) Tonde Saitama (JPY 3.76bn)
9) Kioku ni gozaimasen! (JPY 3.64bn)
10) Myuutsuu no Gyakushuu EVOLUTION (JPY 2.98bn)

11) Confidence Man JP (JPY 2.97bn)
12) Gekijouban Ossans Love ~ LOVE or DEAD ~ (JPY 2.65bn)
13) Kaguyasama wa kokurasetai ~ Tensaitachi no renai zunousen ~ (JPY 2.24bn)
14) Nanatsu no Kaigi (JPY 2.16bn)
15) Eiga Crayon Shin-chan Shinkon ryokou hurricane ~ ushinawareta hiroshi ~" (JPY 2.08bn)
16) Archimedes no Taisen (JPY 1.93bn)
17) Gekijouban Uta no Prince-sama Maji LOVE Kingdom (JPY 1.82bn)
18) The Fable (JPY 1.77bn)
19) Gekijouban Fate/stay night Heaven's Feel II. lost butterfly (JPY 1.66bn)
20) Heisei Kamen Rider 20 saku kinen Kamen Rider Heisei Generations FOREVER (JPY 1.56bn)

Source: Natalie

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 25th & 26th Jan 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Cats (378)

2) Kaiji Final Game (332)

3) Frozen 2 (382)

4) Parasite (2)

5) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (377)

6) Last Letter (260)

7) Kiokuya Anata wo wasurenai (327)

8) Ford v. Ferrari (363)

9) Boku no Hero Academy THE MOVIE Heroes: Rising (312)

10) Gekijouban Made in Abyss Fukaki tamashi no reimei (50)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 18th & 19th Jan 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Frozen 2 (382)

2) Kaiji Final Game (332)

3) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (377)

4) Last Letter (260)

5) Parasite (2)

6) Kiokuya Anata wo wasurenai (327)

7) Ford v. Ferrari (363)

8) Richard Jewell (244)

9) Gekijouban Made in Abyss Fukaki tamashi no reimei (50)

10) Gekijouban High School Fleet (96)

Source: Eiga.com

Top 10 movies box office ranking for the weekend of 11th & 12th Jan 2020

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of cinemas showing the movie:

1) Frozen 2 (382)

2) Kaiji Final Game (332)

3) Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (377)

4) Ford v. Ferrari (363)

5) Parasite (2)

6) Otoko wa tsurai yo Okaeri Tora-san (353)

7) Boku no hero academy THE MOVIE Heroes: Rising (312)

8) Kamen Rider Reiwa The First Generation (328)

9) Gozen 0 ji, kiss shi ni kite yo (255)

10) Eiga Youkai Gakuen Y Neko wa HERO ni nareruka (346)

Source: Eiga.com