How much of the 1956 Japanese box office came from the US and Canada?

$20K of the $46.7K total, or 43%, 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 · 1956

Japanese Box Office 1956: Highest-Grossing Japanese Movies

The Burmese Harp (1956) is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie released in 1956, with $33.8K worldwide, ahead of Street of Shame (1956) at $7.5K and Sound in the Mist (1956) at $5.4K. 3 Japanese-language films released in 1956 report a worldwide gross, $46.7K in all, 43% of it from the US & Canada.

1956 releases with a gross: 3
combined worldwide: $46.7K
The Burmese Harp (1956), the #1: $33.8K
earned in the US & Canada: 43%

#1 of 3

#1 Japanese-language movie of 1956

The Burmese Harp (1956)

1956 · War, Drama

$33.8K worldwide · 72% of the chart's total

$20K US & Canada · 59% $13.7K elsewhere · 41%

Top 3

What Were the Biggest Japanese Hits of 1956?

The Burmese Harp (1956) leads with $33.8K, 72% of the total. The top 3 together took $46.7K, 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

$33.8K The Burmese Harp (1956)
$20K US & Canada · 59% $13.7K elsewhere · 41%
Number 2

$7.5K Street of Shame (1956)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 3

$5.4K Sound in the Mist (1956)
No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Japanese Release of 1956, 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 1956.

1
The Burmese Harp (1956) Jan 21, 1956 · War, Drama $33.8K worldwide

Jan 21, 1956 US and Canada: $20K Rest of the world: $13.7K Worldwide: $33.8K
2
Street of Shame (1956) Mar 18, 1956 · Drama $7.5K worldwide

Mar 18, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $7.5K
3
Sound in the Mist (1956) Nov 21, 1956 · Romance, Drama $5.4K worldwide

Nov 21, 1956 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $5.4K

By release month

Which Month of 1956 Earned the Most?

January releases took the most, $33.8K from 1 film, led by The Burmese Harp (1956). November was the quietest month ($5.4K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1956 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1954 earned the most: $599K from 2 films, led by Godzilla (1954). 1956 took $46.7K.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
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
1954 2 films · +375%	2	$599K	+375%	Godzilla (1954) $590.8K
1955 5 films · −90%	5	$62.4K	−90%	I Live in Fear (1955) $47K
1956 3 films · −25%	3	$46.7K	−25%	The Burmese Harp (1956) $33.8K

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 1956: 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 1956?

The Burmese Harp (1956) leads with $33.8K worldwide, $20K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Street of Shame (1956) at $7.5K and Sound in the Mist (1956) at $5.4K.

How much did Japanese-language movies released in 1956 earn?

3 Japanese-language films released in 1956 report a worldwide gross, $46.7K in all, or $15.6K per film on average.

How many Japanese-language movies released in 1956 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Burmese Harp (1956), earned $33.8K.

How is the 1956 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 1956. 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 1956 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.