This year is poised to mark the Japanese box office’s best performance since pre-pandemic 2019, when the ¥14.2 billion (roughly $129 million) earned by the No. 1 film — Makoto Shinkai’s anime ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.

The Cannes Film Festival’s Marché du Film has unveiled Japan as the Country of Honour for its 2026 edition next May. The Marché du Film’s Executive Director Guillaume Esmiol officially announced the ...

The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) has become the latest major investor to back Tokyo-based K2 Pictures’ pioneering new film production fund, signaling growing institutional confidence in the company ...

Lee Sang-il’s kabuki drama Kokuho has set a new record in Japan, becoming the highest-grossing Japanese live-action film ever in the market with over $111M at the local box office. The Ken ...

Lee Sang-il’s kabuki epic Kokuho has become Japan’s highest-grossing local live-action film of all time, after reaching $111.5m (¥17.38bn) over the country’s recent holiday weekend (November 22-24).

JAPAN – Kabuki-themed surprise hit Kokuho has grossed more than 17.37 billion yen (S$144 million), becoming the first movie in 22 years to break Japan’s box-office record for a domestic live-action ...

The Japan Foundation has announced the Japanese Film Festival (JFF) 2025–26, which will take place across eight Indian cities starting this December. The Japanese Film Festival first began in 2016, ...

“Kokuho,” which depicts the life of a kabuki actor, has become the highest grossing domestic live-action film as its box office revenue reached about ¥17.38 billion by Monday, according to an ...

Directed by Lee Sang-il and selected as Japan’s 2026 Oscar submission for best international feature, the three-hour, kabuki-theater-set drama has defied expectations and reignited the world’s ...

The movie Kokuhō, which tells the story of two friends and rivals in the world of kabuki, has become Japan’s top-grossing live-action film at the domestic box office, setting a new record for the ...