In the 21st century, Japan is the largest hub of animation production in the world. Though its profit doesn’t match with the United States still, the amount of work Japanese animators deliver in a month is far more as compared to the work of other countries in a whole year. And, that’s the biggest reason why there is an abundance of highest-grossing anime films in Japan.

There are marvellous & bizarre anime films that have been made in the past which were the greatest of their time. Not just once, but Japan has delivered such beautiful works from time to time that went on to shatter many box office records. Some even managed to grasp a prestigious award like Oscar as well.

So, today in this new section we’ll take a look at some of these successful films which registered their names to the highest-grossing anime films in Japan of all time. Without any further ado, let’s get started then.

10. Jujutsu Kaisen 0 (¥9.83 Billion)

Jujutsu Kaisen 0 was released theatrically on Dec 24, 2021, in Japan only. It has only been 38 days since its release, and during this period more than 7.1 million people watched the film. And, with such a high number of admissions at the box office, the film made a revenue of 9.8 billion yen eventually, making it one of the top 10 highest-grossing anime films in Japan.

The movie is based on the manga series created by Gege Akutami. It follows the story of Yuta Okkotsu who gets possessed by the curse of his childhood friend, Rika. In order to save him from this misery, Gojo Satoru enrolls him to Jujutsu Tech where Yuta learns about the curse energy & techniques to combat the fears residing in the dark world.

The film has been produced by MAPPA and distributed by Toho Animation which premiered theatrically in Japan on Christmas eve. Sunghoo Park has directed the movie meanwhile, King Gnu performed the opening & ending theme songs of the film. After the huge success in Japan, Jujutsu Kaisen 0 is all set to release in the United States & other countries as well.

9. Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 (¥10.23 Billion)

Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time has earned an estimated total of 10.23 billion yen which is a record for the franchise. The film debuted at No.1 at the Japanese box office and was the highest-grossing anime film in Japan in 2021. It was released internationally on August 13, 2021, via the Amazon Prime Video streaming service.

Following NERV’s failed attempt to retrieve the Spears of Longinus and carry out the Human Instrumentality Project, Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Shikinami, and Rei Ayanami travel to Village 3. There, Shinji slowly comes to terms with his past, developing an entirely different life from his days as an Evangelion pilot.

Meanwhile, NERV makes preparations to continue the Instrumentality Project employing a new impact. As new secrets are uncovered and a battle between WILLE and NERV approaches, the future of Earth hangs in the balance. Now, it’s on Shinji to save humanity and the rest of the world one last time.

8. The Wind Rises (¥12.02 Billion)

The Wind Rises is a 2013 historical drama film written & directed by Hayao Miyazaki and animated by Studio Ghibli. It was the last film he made before the announcement of his retirement from the entertainment industry and many consider it as his greatest work of all time.

It is a fictionalised biographical film of Jiro Horikoshi who designed the Mitsubishi A5M fighter aircraft and later, Mitsubishi A6M Zero that was used by the Empire of Japan during World War II. The film was adapted from Miyazaki’s manga of the same name.

The film went on to become one of the most successful & highest-grossing anime film in Japan. It was able to call out the core themes of the film like the creation of art & technology which were not only able to attract the designers & artists around the world but also fascinated the young generation through it.

7. Weathering With You (¥14.19 Billion)

Weathering With You was theatrically released in 2019 and was praised for its animation quality and emotional impact on the audience. Filmmaker & director, Makoto Shinkai received a lot of appreciation for the narration of the story as it was very heart touching for many fans.

Internationally, the film performed very well at the box office and grossed over US $193.6 million worldwide. From Japan only, the film earned an estimated total of US $104.7 million. Before the release of the film, it received a light novel adaptation as well written by the creator himself.

The romantic fantasy world of Weathering With You depicts the beautiful theme of hope in despair and follows the life of a high school boy, Hodaka Morishima who runs away from his rural home to Tokyo and befriends an orphan girl, Hina Amano who can control the weather.

6. Ponyo (¥15.5 Billion)

A Studio Ghibli film, Ponyo is based on a Danish fairytale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen. As of 2021, it is the fifth highest-grossing anime movie of all time with a box-office collection of US $204.9 million.

Ponyo is also directed by Hayao Miyazaki and it was his eighth film as a director for Studio Ghibli. Miyazaki’s works are always a treat to watch and Ponyo is nothing short of it. The film tells the story of a goldfish named Ponyo who escapes from the ocean and is rescued by a five-year-old human boy, Sōsuke after she is washed ashore while trapped in a glass jar.

The film deals with resolving Ponyo’s desire to become a human girl, against the devastating circumstances brought about by her acquisition and use of magic. Still, she is adamant to fullfill his dream despite the tough going life around her.

5. Howl’s Moving Castle (¥19.6 Billion)

Howl’s Moving Castle is one of the best anime films by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki and in an interview, he admitted it himself that this was his best creation. It received an Oscar nomination as well for the “Best Animated Feature Film” category in 2005 but unluckily didn’t make it to the winner’s list.

Howl’s Moving Castle is based on the novel with the same name by Diana Wynne Jones and it was appreciated by many movie critics for its emotional impact on the viewer. With a net box-office collection of 19.6 billion yen, the anime film ranks 5th on the list of highest-grossing anime films in Japan.

The film is about a young girl, Sophie who runs her late father’s hat shop. Her life takes a turn after she meets a wizard named Howl, who lives in a magical flying castle. She enjoys her happy and wonderful living until a witch being jealous of their bonding casts a spell on Sophie that turns her into an old lady.

4. Princess Mononoke (¥20.18 Billion)

Princess Mononoke is a 1997 epic historical fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, animated by Studio Ghibli and distributed by Toho. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk’s anime list is incomplete without this film.

The film was a critical hit in 1997 as it marked the box-office milestone of 20 billion yen and was holding all the records until Spirited Away surpassed it in 2001. It received many national and international awards for its brilliancy in the animation film industry.

The story follows a young Emishi prince named Ashitaka, and his involvement in a struggle between the gods of a forest and the humans who consume its resources. During his journey, he meets Princess San and along with her tries to maintain peace between both the parties.

3. Your Name (¥25.03 Billion)

Your Name is hailed to be the best anime film by well-known director & filmmaker Makoto Shinkai which was released in the theaters in 2016. It received very positive reviews from the viewers and turned out to be the most successful animated film in history grossing its box-office tally to US $380 million.

Moreover, it earned many recognisable awards including the 2016 Los Angeles Films Critics Association Awards and 71st Mainichi Film Awards for Best Animation Feature Film. Sadly, even after delivering such an Oscar deserving performance in the theaters, the movie didn’t even get nominated for once.

Your Name tells the beautiful story of two teenagers who finds themselves swapping their bodies and growing closer & closer in this process. But, later they discover that they both exist in two different timelines. The unconditional bond between these two and one’s attempt to protect the other is a pleasure to watch.

2. Spirited Away (¥31.68 Billion)

Half of the movies listed in this section are created by popular Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki and Spirited Away is another one among them. It was No.1 in the list of highest-grossing anime films in Japan & internationally as well, until Demon Slayer: Mugen Train dethroned it from the top spot.

Miyazaki wrote the screenplay of Spirited Away in the 2000s and launched it on the big screen after its completion. The response from the movie was unbelievable as it grossed more than 31.68 billion yen in Japan and won an Oscar in succession as well becoming the first anime film ever to do so.

Spirited Away tells the story of a 10-year-old girl Chihiro Ogino who while moving to a new neighborhood, enters the world of Kami (spirits of Japanese Shinto folklore). After her parents are turned into pigs by a witch named Yubaba, Chihiro takes a job working in Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free herself and her parents and return to the human world.

1. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (¥40.32 Billion)

Based on the manga written & illustrated by Koyoharu Gotouge, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is the most successful Japanese movie in history. It holds all the box-office records to its name as it collected more than $500 million worldwide becoming the highest-grossing anime movie of 2020.

This was the first time a non-Hollywood film topped the annual box-office chart. Even after being released amid the Covid crisis, the film was able to make a huge profit of 40 billion yen in Japan. Later on, it went on to receive multiple awards, including the Japan Academy Film Prize for Best Animation in 2021.

Demon Slayer: Mugen Train is an action-adventure anime movie about the Flame Hashira Rengoku Kyojuro and the troublesome trio of Tanjiro, Zenitsu and Inosuke who boards a train to investigate the mystery about the disappearance of 40 people from a moving train.

With this, our list of highest-grossing anime films in Japan comes to an end. We hope you liked it. Let us know in the comments section, which one is your favorite from the list? And don’t forget to share this article with your fellow otaku friends so that we can come up with more exciting articles like this one.