How much of the 1998 Japanese box office came from the US and Canada?

$444.3K of the $1.2M total, or 38%, was earned in the US & Canada (the domestic market); the rest came from other countries. 4 films of the 6 report no domestic figure.

Japanese box office · 1998

Japanese Box Office 1998: Highest-Grossing Japanese Movies

The Eel (1998) is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie released in 1998, with $424.7K worldwide, ahead of Ring (1998) at $364.8K and Give It All (1998) at $254.3K. 6 Japanese-language films released in 1998 report a worldwide gross, $1.2M in all, 38% of it from the US & Canada. That is down 97% on 1997, whose releases took $40.9M. By genre, Drama leads with $777.3K across 4 Japanese releases.

1998 releases with a gross: 6
combined worldwide: $1.2M
The Eel (1998), the #1: $424.7K
vs 1997: −97%

#1 of 6

#1 Japanese-language movie of 1998

The Eel (1998)

1998 · Drama

$424.7K worldwide · 36% of the chart's total

$418.5K US & Canada · 99% $6.2K elsewhere · 1%

Top 5

What Were the Biggest Japanese Hits of 1998?

The Eel (1998) leads with $424.7K, 36% of the total. The top 5 together took $1.2M, almost all of what the 6 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.

Number 1

$424.7K The Eel (1998)
$418.5K US & Canada · 99% $6.2K elsewhere · 1%
Number 2

$364.8K Ring (1998)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 3

$254.3K Give It All (1998)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 4

$98.2K April Story (1998)
No US & Canada figure reported
Number 5

$25.8K Spriggan (1998)
$25.8K US & Canada · 100% elsewhere · 0%

US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world

The chart

Every Japanese Release of 1998, 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 1998.

1
The Eel (1998) Aug 21, 1998 · Drama $424.7K worldwide

Aug 21, 1998 US and Canada: $418.5K Rest of the world: $6.2K Worldwide: $424.7K
2
Ring (1998) Jan 31, 1998 · Thriller, Horror $364.8K worldwide

Jan 31, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $364.8K
3
Give It All (1998) Oct 9, 1998 · Drama $254.3K worldwide

Oct 9, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $254.3K
4
April Story (1998) Mar 14, 1998 · Romance, Drama $98.2K worldwide

Mar 14, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $98.2K
5
Spriggan (1998) Sep 5, 1998 · Action, Animation $25.8K worldwide

Sep 5, 1998 US and Canada: $25.8K Rest of the world: Worldwide: $25.8K
6
Bullet Ballet (1998) Sep 5, 1998 · Crime, Thriller $111 worldwide

Sep 5, 1998 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $111

By release month

Which Month of 1998 Earned the Most?

August releases took the most, $424.7K from 1 film, led by The Eel (1998). September was the quietest month ($25.9K). Each column is a release month and links to that month's chart.

Last 10 years

How Does 1998 Compare With Previous Years?

Of these 10 years, 1997 earned the most: $40.9M from 5 films, led by Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997). 1998 took $1.2M.

Year	Films	Worldwide	Change	Biggest film
1989 7 films	7	$16.9M	–	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
1997 5 films · +617%	5	$40.9M	+617%	Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997) $22.6M
1998 6 films · −97%	6	$1.2M	−97%	The Eel (1998) $424.7K

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 · $241.8M

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 1998: 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 6 films as the chart.

What is the highest-grossing Japanese-language movie in 1998?

The Eel (1998) leads with $424.7K worldwide, $418.5K of it in the US & Canada. Next come Ring (1998) at $364.8K and Give It All (1998) at $254.3K.

How much did Japanese-language movies released in 1998 earn?

6 Japanese-language films released in 1998 report a worldwide gross, $1.2M in all, or $194.7K per film on average. 1997 releases took $40.9M.

How many Japanese-language movies released in 1998 made $1 billion?

None. The biggest, The Eel (1998), earned $424.7K.

How is the 1998 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 1998. 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 1998 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.