How much of the 1953 Japanese box office came from the US and Canada?

$11.2K of the $126.2K total, or 9%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 3 report no domestic figure.

Japanese box office · 1953

Japanese Box Office 1953: Highest-Grossing Japanese Movies

Tokyo Story (1953) is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie released in 1953, with $93.9K worldwide, ahead of Ugetsu (1953) at $25K and Gate of Hell (1953) at $7.4K. 3 Japanese-language films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $126.2K in all, 9% of it from the US & Canada.

1953 releases with a gross: 3
combined worldwide: $126.2K
Tokyo Story (1953), the #1: $93.9K
earned in the US & Canada: 9%

#1 of 3

#1 Japanese-language movie of 1953

Tokyo Story (1953)

1953 · Drama

$93.9K worldwide · 74% of the chart's total

No US & Canada figure reported

Top 3

What Were the Biggest Japanese Hits of 1953?

Tokyo Story (1953) leads with $93.9K, 74% of the total. The top 3 together took $126.2K, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

Number 1

$93.9K Tokyo Story (1953)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 2

$25K Ugetsu (1953)
$11.2K US & Canada · 45% $13.8K elsewhere · 55%
Number 3

$7.4K Gate of Hell (1953)
No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Japanese Release of 1953, Ranked by Worldwide Gross

Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in 1953.

1
Tokyo Story (1953) Nov 3, 1953 · Drama $93.9K worldwide

Nov 3, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $93.9K
2
Ugetsu (1953) Mar 26, 1953 · Fantasy, Drama $25K worldwide

Mar 26, 1953 US and Canada: $11.2K Rest of the world: $13.8K Worldwide: $25K
3
Gate of Hell (1953) Oct 30, 1953 · History, Drama $7.4K worldwide

Oct 30, 1953 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.4K

By release month

Which Month of 1953 Earned the Most?

November releases took the most, $93.9K from 1 film, led by Tokyo Story (1953). October was the quietest month ($7.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1953 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1951 earned the most: $139.8K from 1 film, led by Rashomon (1951). 1953 took $126.2K.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
1944 No films	0	–	–	–
1945 No films	0	–	–	–
1946 No films	0	–	–	–
1947 No films	0	–	–	–
1948 1 film	1	$47K	–	Drunken Angel (1948) $47K
1949 2 films · +42%	2	$66.7K	+42%	Stray Dog (1949) $47K
1950 1 film · −100%	1	$332	−100%	The Munekata Sisters (1950) $332
1951 1 film · +42014%	1	$139.8K	+42014%	Rashomon (1951) $139.8K
1952 1 film · −95%	1	$6.9K	−95%	The Life of Oharu (1952) $6.9K
1953 3 films · +1724%	3	$126.2K	+1724%	Tokyo Story (1953) $93.9K

Japanese Box Office Year by Year

Every year from 1936 to 2026 with its total and its biggest film. 2023 leads with $1.6B, led by The Boy and the Heron (2023).

2020s 7 years · $6.4B

2010s 10 years · $8.1B

2000s 10 years · $3.8B

1990s 10 years · $242.4M

1980s 8 years · $115.3M

1970s 8 years · $763.7K

1960s 10 years · $651K

1950s 9 years · $1.1M

1940s 3 years · $863.9K

1930s 2 years · $23.9K

FAQ

Japanese Box Office 1953: Questions & Answers

The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 3 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie in 1953?

Tokyo Story (1953) leads with $93.9K worldwide. Next come Ugetsu (1953) at $25K and Gate of Hell (1953) at $7.4K.

How much did Japanese-language movies released in 1953 earn?

3 Japanese-language films released in 1953 report a worldwide gross, $126.2K in all, or $42.1K per film on average.

How many Japanese-language movies released in 1953 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Tokyo Story (1953), earned $93.9K.

How is the 1953 Japanese box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?

Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in 1953. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.

How often is the 1953 Japanese box office chart updated?

Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.