Japanese Films Broke Box Office Records in 2024 as Animation Dominates and Foreign Films Decline

May 08, 2025 at 06:57 AM EDT

In 2024, box office revenue for Japanese-made films hit a new high, with anime becoming the leading force in the market, while foreign films continued to perform poorly.

Japanese audiences remain enthusiastic about anime films, with Detective Conan: One-eyed Flashback being the best-selling film of the year so far. (Photo via https://conan-collectors.musing.jp)

TOKYO, JAPAN (MERXWIRE) – According to the latest statistics from the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, the total box office revenue of Japanese-produced films in 2024 reached 155.8 billion yen, an increase of 5.1% from 2023, a new record high. Japanese films performed strongly, accounting for 75.3% of the total box office, the highest recorded record. In comparison, the box office of foreign films was only 51.183 billion yen, a year-on-year decrease of about 30%, accounting for nearly 25% of the total box office.

Among the top ten box office hits last year, eight were Japanese films, five of which were animated works, reflecting the strong support of local audiences for domestic films and animation works. “Detective Conan: The Million Dollar Pentacle” became the annual box office champion with 15.8 billion yen, and “Haikyu!! The Battle at the Garbage Dump” ranked second with 11.64 billion yen. In addition, works such as “Kingdom 4: Return of the Great General ,” “SPY×FAMILY CODE: White,” “LAST MILE: Detonation,” and “Mobile Suit Gundam SEED FREEDOM” also ranked among the top. There are only two foreign films in the top ten, namely “Inside Out 2” and “Despicable Me 4”; for the first time, no live-action foreign films made the top ten.

This year is the first time foreign live-action films have been absent from the top ten list since statistics began in 2000, indicating that the influence of foreign films in the Japanese market has declined significantly. At the same time, the Japanese animation film craze is in full swing, with animation works accounting for more than 50% of the popular movies with box office revenue exceeding 1 billion yen. Looking ahead to 2025, the works that audiences expect will still be mainly animation, indicating that the “dependence on animation” market trend will not change in the short term.

Only two of the top ten movies in Japan’s box office in 2024 were foreign films. (Chart via MERXWIRE)

The rise of Japan’s film industry has also prompted the government to increase its support for the content industry. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently stated that he would list movies and animation as strategic sectors as crucial as semiconductors and planned to include specific support measures in the “basic policy” to expand overseas markets. The government aims to expand overseas sales of the content industry to 20 trillion yen, about four times the current level, hoping to strengthen the global influence of Japanese film and television content through institutional support.

This series of policy and market changes shows that Japanese films are ushering in a new heyday. Not only are domestic audiences paying for them, but the government has also seen the potential of movies and animation and is preparing to promote them overseas. From hot-selling box office in cinemas to layout on the international stage, Japanese films, especially animation, are gradually moving into the hearts of audiences worldwide.

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Japanese Films Broke Box Office Records in 2024 as Animation Dominates and Foreign Films Decline

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