How much of the 1990 Japanese box office came from the US and Canada?

$2.5M of the $5M total, or 50%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 2 films of the 5 report no domestic figure.

Japanese box office · 1990

Japanese Box Office 1990: Highest-Grossing Japanese Movies

Dreams (1990) is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie released in 1990, with $3M worldwide, ahead of Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) at $1M and Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet (1990) at $521.9K. 5 Japanese-language films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $5M in all, 50% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 70% on 1989, whose releases took $16.9M. By genre, Fantasy leads with $4M across 4 Japanese releases.

1990 releases with a gross: 5
combined worldwide: $5M
Dreams (1990), the #1: $3M
vs 1989: −70%

#1 of 5

#1 Japanese-language movie of 1990

Dreams (1990)

1990 · Drama, Fantasy

$3M worldwide · 59% of the chart's total

$2M US & Canada · 66% $1M elsewhere · 34%

Top 5

What Were the Biggest Japanese Hits of 1990?

Dreams (1990) leads with $3M, 59% of the total. The top 5 together took $5M, almost all of what the 5 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

Number 1

$3M Dreams (1990)
$2M US & Canada · 66% $1M elsewhere · 34%
Number 2

$1M Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 3

$521.9K Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet (1990)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 4

$270.4K Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)
$270.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
Number 5

$270.4K Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990)
$270.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Japanese Release of 1990, 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 1990.

1
Dreams (1990) May 11, 1990 · Drama, Fantasy $3M worldwide

May 11, 1990 US and Canada: $2M Rest of the world: $1M Worldwide: $3M
2
Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) Mar 10, 1990 · Sci-Fi, Animation $1M worldwide

Mar 10, 1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $1M
3
Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet (1990) Mar 10, 1990 · Fantasy, Animation $521.9K worldwide

Mar 10, 1990 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $521.9K
4
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) Oct 17, 1990 · Sci-Fi, Animation $270.4K worldwide

Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $270.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $270.4K
5
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) Oct 17, 1990 · Sci-Fi, Animation $270.4K worldwide

Oct 17, 1990 US and Canada: $270.4K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $270.4K

US & Canada vs the world

Where Did the Money Come From in 1990?

Of the top 5, Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) earned the biggest share at home (100% in the US & Canada), while Dreams (1990) made 34% of its gross abroad. Across all 5 films, $2.5M (50%) came from the US & Canada. 2 films of the top 5 report no US & Canada figure.

1 Dreams (1990) $3M
$2M US & Canada · 66% $1M elsewhere · 34%
2 Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) $1M
No US & Canada figure reported
3 Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet (1990) $521.9K
No US & Canada figure reported
4 Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) $270.4K
$270.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%
5 Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku (1990) $270.4K
$270.4K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

By release month

Which Month of 1990 Earned the Most?

May releases took the most, $3M from 1 film, led by Dreams (1990). October was the quietest month ($540.7K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1990 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1988 earned the most: $58.3M from 5 films, led by My Neighbor Totoro (1988). 1990 took $5M.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
1981 2 films	2	$777.5K	–	Lonely Heart (1981) $777.1K
1982 4 films · +1718%	4	$14.1M	+1718%	Diner (1982) $14.1M
1983 1 film · −100%	1	$87	−100%	Golgo 13: The Professional (1983) $87
1984 No films	0	–	–	–
1985 7 films	7	$17.6M	–	Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1985) $9M
1986 No films	0	–	–	–
1987 3 films	3	$3.7M	–	Dead Heat (1987) $3.6M
1988 5 films · +1492%	5	$58.3M	+1492%	My Neighbor Totoro (1988) $30.4M
1989 7 films · −71%	7	$16.9M	−71%	Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) $10.4M
1990 5 films · −70%	5	$5M	−70%	Dreams (1990) $3M

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 · $232M

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 1990: 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 5 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie in 1990?

Dreams (1990) leads with $3M worldwide, $2M of it in the US & Canada. Next come Dragon Ball Z: The World’s Strongest (1990) at $1M and Doraemon: Nobita and the Animal Planet (1990) at $521.9K.

How much did Japanese-language movies released in 1990 earn?

5 Japanese-language films released in 1990 report a worldwide gross, $5M in all, or $1M per film on average. 1989 releases took $16.9M.

How many Japanese-language movies released in 1990 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Dreams (1990), earned $3M.

How is the 1990 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 1990. 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 1990 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.