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Official poster for Lee Sang-il’s Kokuho. imdb For years the Japanese domestic film market has been dominated by anime movies, and for good reason. However, a new contender has recently emerged from the unlikeliest of backgrounds; Kokuho — not a thrilling spy caper or a fluffy romance as one would expect, but a three-hour period drama about classical theater form kabuki. Kokuho, directed by Lee Sang-il and distributed by Toho, earned 17.37 billion yen ($111 million) as of November 25, according to the distributor. This surpasses the 17.35 billion yen record held by Bayside Shakedown 2 since 2003. The film drew 12.31 million admissions after 172 days in theaters following its June 6 release. Based on Shuichi Yoshida’s novel of the same name, the film runs two hours and 55 minutes and follows the rivalry between two kabuki actors over five decades. Ryo Yoshizawa and Ryusei Yokohama star as onnagata performers (male actors specializing in female roles) with Ken Watanabe in a supporting role. What the Record Actually Means The record applies specifically to domestic Japanese live-action films. Kokuho ranks 11th overall in Japan’s box office history across all categories. Demon Slayer: Mugen Train holds the overall domestic record at 40.75 billion yen, more than double Kokuho‘s gross. Foreign live-action films including Titanic and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone also exceed its earnings. The 22-year gap since the previous live-action record reflects Japan’s animated film dominance. Of the country’s top ten highest-grossing films domestically, seven are animated. Japan’s film market ranks third globally, but live-action Japanese productions rarely approach the figures that anime features routinely achieve. The Oscars Question Japan selected Kokuho as its official submission for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. The film premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at Cannes Film Festival in May…

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Filed under: News - @ November 30, 2025 7:19 pm