How much of the 1996 Japanese box office came from the US and Canada?

$1.4M of the $5.7M total, or 24%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 1 film of the 3 report no domestic figure.

Japanese box office · 1996

Japanese Box Office 1996: Highest-Grossing Japanese Movies

Whisper of the Heart (1996) is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie released in 1996, with $4.6M worldwide, ahead of Ghost in the Shell (1996) at $968.1K and Swallowtail Butterfly (1996) at $147.7K. 3 Japanese-language films released in 1996 report a worldwide gross, $5.7M in all, 24% of it from the US & Canada.

1996 releases with a gross: 3
combined worldwide: $5.7M
Whisper of the Heart (1996), the #1: $4.6M
earned in the US & Canada: 24%

Whisper of the Heart (1996) movie poster

#1 of 3

#1 Japanese-language movie of 1996

Whisper of the Heart (1996)

1996 · Drama, Romance

$4.6M worldwide · 80% of the chart's total

$498.2K US & Canada · 11% $4.1M elsewhere · 89%

Top 3

What Were the Biggest Japanese Hits of 1996?

Whisper of the Heart (1996) leads with $4.6M, 80% of the total. The top 3 together took $5.7M, 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

$4.6M Whisper of the Heart (1996)
$498.2K US & Canada · 11% $4.1M elsewhere · 89%
Number 2

$968.1K Ghost in the Shell (1996)
$889.1K US & Canada · 92% $79K elsewhere · 8%
Number 3

$147.7K Swallowtail Butterfly (1996)
No US & Canada figure reported

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Japanese Release of 1996, 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 1996.

1
Whisper of the Heart (1996) Dec 13, 1996 · Drama, Romance $4.6M worldwide

Dec 13, 1996 US and Canada: $498.2K Rest of the world: $4.1M Worldwide: $4.6M
2
Ghost in the Shell (1996) Mar 29, 1996 · Action, Sci-Fi $968.1K worldwide

Mar 29, 1996 US and Canada: $889.1K Rest of the world: $79K Worldwide: $968.1K
3
Swallowtail Butterfly (1996) Sep 4, 1996 · Crime, Sci-Fi $147.7K worldwide

Sep 4, 1996 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $147.7K

By release month

Which Month of 1996 Earned the Most?

December releases took the most, $4.6M from 1 film, led by Whisper of the Heart (1996). September was the quietest month ($147.7K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1996 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1988 earned the most: $58.3M from 5 films, led by My Neighbor Totoro (1988). 1996 took $5.7M.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
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 6 films · −9%	6	$15.4M	−9%	The Witches (1990) $10.4M
1991 4 films · −92%	4	$1.2M	−92%	Only Yesterday (1991) $610.8K
1992 3 films · +777%	3	$10.2M	+777%	Once Upon a Crime... (1992) $8.7M
1993 7 films · −86%	7	$1.4M	−86%	Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan (1993) $659K
1994 3 films · −88%	3	$169.4K	−88%	Sailor Moon S the Movie: Hearts in Ice (1994) $167.8K
1995 2 films · +815%	2	$1.5M	+815%	Pom Poko (1995) $1.3M
1996 3 films · +268%	3	$5.7M	+268%	Whisper of the Heart (1996) $4.6M

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 1996: 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 1996?

Whisper of the Heart (1996) leads with $4.6M worldwide, $498.2K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Ghost in the Shell (1996) at $968.1K and Swallowtail Butterfly (1996) at $147.7K.

How much did Japanese-language movies released in 1996 earn?

3 Japanese-language films released in 1996 report a worldwide gross, $5.7M in all, or $1.9M per film on average.

How many Japanese-language movies released in 1996 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, Whisper of the Heart (1996), earned $4.6M.

How is the 1996 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 1996. 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 1996 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.