Japan's box office charts continue to showcase the profound cultural resonance of modern animation and cinematic adaptations, led by the unstoppable momentum of Nagano's creation. Eiga Chiikawa: Ningyo no Shima no Himitsu, the inaugural cinematic feature for the wildly popular franchise produced by Cygames Pictures under the direction of Kei Oikawa, held firm at the #1 position during its ninth weekend in theaters.
During the Friday-to-Sunday frame, the film moved 643,000 tickets to secure 999 million yen (approximately US$6.31 million). By the conclusion of Japan's Silver Week holiday string, cumulative ticket sales surged to an incredible 11.33 million admissions, driving total earnings past 16.5 billion yen (roughly US$104.3 million). These figures cement its status as the highest-grossing domestic film in Japan for the year, ascending to the 15th position on the nation's all-time box office rankings.
Fall Box Office Competitors
Sharing the theatrical spotlight, Toei Animation's Star Detective Precure! The Movie: The Mysterious Garden and the Secret of 2 People—the 23rd principal feature in the long-running magical girl staple—secured a robust #3 debut. The film drew 358,000 moviegoers in its opening three days for a 446 million yen haul, bolstered by voice performances from Akari Kitō, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Kōki Uchiyama under the direction of Hanako Ueda.
Meanwhile, studio SHAFT's Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising experienced a natural descent to #8 in its fourth weekend, following robust initial earnings that included expanded IMAX exhibition runs. Shingo Yamashita's multimedia sensation Cosmic Princess Kaguya! also re-entered theatrical circulation with premium formats like 4DX and Dolby Atmos, crossing the 1.5 million ticket milestone and accumulating 3.0 billion yen in lifetime gross.
