Ranking of Japanese films by year

Ever asked what the best Japanese movie of 2019 is? 2018 or the last 10 years? In this article, we will share a list and ranking with the 10 most popular Japanese movies of each year, from 2019 to 2013.

We will start with ranking of best Japanese movies of 2019 for previous years. Japanese films largely include Japanese animation, original films, and works based on manga and novels.

The ranking has not only releases, but sequels and others. The ranking also tracks the box office in yen and dollars. The names of the films are in English. The years ranking below will help you navigate through the article:

Ranking of Japanese films by year

The best Japanese movies of 2019

The best Japanese movies of the year 2019:

RankTitleBox office
1Weathering with You¥14.02 billion (US$129.0 million)
2Detective Conan: The Fist of Blue Sapphire¥9.37 billion (US$86.2 million)
3Kingdom¥5.73 billion (US$52.7 million)
4One Piece: Stampede¥5.53 billion (US$50.8 million)
5Doraemon: Nobita's Chronicle of the Moon Exploration¥5.01 billion (US$46.1 million)
6Masquerade Hotel¥4.64 billion (US$42.7 million)
7Dragon Ball Super: Broly¥4.00 billion (US$36.8 million)
8Fly me to the saaitama¥3.76 billion (US$34.6 million)
9Hit Me Anyone One More Time¥3.60 billion (US$33.1 million)
10Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution¥2.98 billion (US$27.4 million)

The best Japanese films of 2018

The best Japanese movies of the year 2018:

RankMovieBox office
1Code Blue¥93 billion (US$83.9 million)
2Detetive Conan: Zero the Enforcer¥91.8 billion (US$108.12 million)
3Doraemon the Movie: Nobita's Treasure Island¥53.7 billion (US$81.85 million)
4Shoplifters¥45.5 billion (US$72.8 million)
5Gintama 2¥37 billion (US$55.2 million)
6Destiny: A História de Kamakura¥32.1 billion (US$48 million)
7One Cut of the Dead¥31.2 billion (US$30.5 million)
8Pokémon The Movie: The Power of Us¥30.9 billion (US$28.1 million)
9Killing for the Prosecutions¥29.6 billion (US$27 million)
10Mirai¥28.8 billion (US$28.4 million)
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The best Japanese films of 2017

The best Japanese movies of the year 2017:

RankMovieBox office
1Detective Conan: Carta de Amor Carmesim¥68.9 billion (US$65.45 million)
2Doraemon the Movie 2017: Great Adventure in the Antarctic¥44.3 billion (US$65.4 million)
3Gintama¥38.4 billion (US$45.7 million)
4Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You!¥35.5 billion (US$37.6 million)
5Discover the best Japanese movies in our annual ranking! Explore reviews, trailers and find your next favorite movie. Click here and travel through Japanese cinema!¥35.2 billion (US$31.4 million)
6Mary and the Witch's Flower¥32.9 billion (US$41 million)
7Yo-kai Watch: Flying Whale and the Great Adventure of the Double World, Meow!¥32.6 billion (US$30 million)
8Sword Art Online The Movie: Ordinal Scale¥25.2 billion (US$38.3 million)
9Mumon: A Terra do Sigilo¥25.1 billion (US$22.2 million)
10Memoirs of a Murderer¥24.1 billion (US$21.2 million)
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The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:

The best Japanese films of 2016

The best Japanese movies of the year 2016:

RankMovieBox office
1Your Name¥213.2 billion (US$182.2 million)
2Shin Godzilla¥81.1 billion (US$69.3 million)
3Detetive Conan: O Pesadelo Mais Negro¥63.3 billion (US$54.1 million)
4Yo-kai Watch: Enma Daiō to Itsutsu no Monogatari da Nyan!¥55.3 billion (US$47.3 million)
5One Piece Film: Gold¥52 billion (US$44.4 million)
6Nobunaga Concerto: The Movie¥46.1 billion (US$42.6 million)
7Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan 2016¥41.2 billion (US$58.4 million)
8Assassination Classroom: Graduation¥35.2 billion (US$32.6 million)
9Orange¥32.5 billion (US$28.2 million)
10Girls und Panzer der Film¥24 billion (US$22.9 million)
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The best Japanese films of 2015

The best Japanese movies of the year 2015:

RankMovieBox office
1Yo-kai Watch: The Movie¥7.8 billion (US$80 million)
2O Menino e a Fera¥5.85 billion (US$49.7 million)
3Hero¥4.67 billion (US$38.7 million)
4Detective Conan: Girassois do Inferno¥4.48 billion (US$61 million)
5Doraemon: Nobita's Space Heroes¥3.93 billion (US$36 million)
6Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'¥3.74 billion (US$64.8 million)
7Attack on Titan¥3.74 billion (US$46 million)
8Flying Colors¥2.84 billion (US$23.6 million)
8Love Live! The School Idol Movie¥2.84 billion (US$28 million)
10Assassination Classroom¥2.77 billion (US$25.8 million)

We also recommend reading our article on Japanese Animation Studios.

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The best Japanese films of 2014

The best Japanese movies of the year 2014:

RankMovieBox office
1The Eternal Zero¥8.76 billion (US$84.5 million)
2Stand by Me Doraemon¥8.38 billion (US$183.4 million)
3Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Inferno¥5.22 billion (US$52.9 million)
4Thermae Romae II¥4.42 billion (US$41 million)
5Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends¥4.35 billion (US$39.3 million)
6Lupine the 3rd vs. Detective Conan: The Movie¥4.26 billion (US$45 million)
7Detective Conan: Dimensional Sniper¥4.11 billion (US$37.1 million)
8Doraemon: New Nobita's Great Demon—Peko and the Exploration of Five¥3.58 billion (US$35.9 million)
9When Marnie Was There¥3.53 billion (US$36 million)
10Pokémon The Movie: Diancie and the Cocoon of Destruction¥2.91 billion (US$28.2 million)

The best Japanese films of 2013

The best Japanese movies of the year 2013:

RankMovieBox office
1The Wind Rises¥12 billion
2One Piece Film: Z¥6.87 billion
3Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gadget Museum¥3.98 billion
4Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea¥3.63 billion
5Midsummer's Equation¥3.31 billion

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