Japan’s Box Office Hits All-Time High in 2025 as Demon Slayer and Kokuho Power a Historic Year

Japanese pop culture news edited by Patrick Macias

• Japan’s total box office revenue reached a record ¥274.45 billion (roughly $1.89 billion), surpassing pre-pandemic highs

• Domestic films dominated, led by Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle and the prestige hit Kokuho

• Kokuho earned an Academy Award nomination, highlighting growing global recognition for Japanese cinema

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1 playing in Japanese cinema

Japan’s film industry closed out 2025 with its strongest performance ever. On January 28, the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan announced that total annual box office revenue climbed to ¥274.45 billion (roughly $1.89 billion), a 32.6 percent increase year over year and the highest figure on record, surpassing even the pre-COVID peak of 2019.

Domestic productions were the clear engine behind that growth. Japanese films generated ¥207.57 billion (approximately $1.43 billion), accounting for 75.6 percent of total revenue. In all, 38 Japanese titles exceeded the ¥1 billion threshold (around $6.9 million), signaling an unusually deep and healthy theatrical lineup rather than a year driven by a single breakout hit.

At the top was Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1, which earned an extraordinary ¥39.14 billion (an estimated $270 million). It was followed by Kokuho at ¥19.55 billion (around $135 million), Detective Conan: The Phantom of the One-Eyed at ¥14.74 billion (roughly $102 million), and Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc at ¥10.43 billion (nearly $72 million). The fact that four domestic releases crossed the ¥10 billion mark in a single year remains a rare achievement, even by Japan’s blockbuster standards.

Foreign films continued to trail domestic releases. Only 12 international titles topped ¥1 billion (roughly $6.9 million), with Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning leading overseas releases at ¥5.28 billion (approximately $36 million). Overall, the foreign film market recovered to around 60 percent of its 2019 level.

In total, 694 Japanese films and 611 foreign films were released during the year. Annual theater attendance reached 188.76 million admissions, with an average ticket price of ¥1,454 (just over $10).

Association president and TOHO chairman Yoshishige Shimatani described 2025 as an exceptional year, pointing to Kokuho as a standout example of a film that resonated across generations. He noted that the film’s Academy Award nomination in the Makeup and Hairstyling category underscored the international potential of Japanese cinema, while also expressing optimism that Hollywood production activity is gradually recovering.

Top 10 Films at the Japanese Box Office in 2025
(Revenue in billions of yen, with estimated USD equivalents)

1. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle – Part 1
   ¥39.14 billion (est. $270 million)

2. Kokuho
   ¥19.55 billion (est. $135 million)

3. Detective Conan: The Phantom of the One-Eyed
   ¥14.74 billion (est. $102 million)

4. Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc
   ¥10.43 billion (est. $72 million)

5. Cells at Work!
   ¥6.36 billion (est. $44 million)

6. Tokyo MER: Mobile Emergency Room – South Sea Mission
   ¥5.29 billion (est. $36 million)

7. Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning
   ¥5.28 billion (est. $36 million)

8. Moana 2
   ¥5.17 billion (est. $36 million)

9. Exit 8
   ¥5.17 billion (est. $36 million)

10. Jurassic World: Rebirth
    ¥4.90 billion (est. $34 million)