News
Japan's April Box Office Down 96.3% From Last Year
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The Motion Pictures Producers Association of Japan (MPPA) reported on Monday that 12 major Japanese film distributors earned 688 million yen (about US$6.40 million) combined at the box office in April — a 96.3% decrease from last year, and the lowest month ever since the MPPA began tallying monthly box office receipts in 2000.
Box office performance fell 90% in the first weekend of April compared to the same period last year, and all theaters closed by mid-April after Japan declared a nationwide state of emergency. The MPPA reported that theater revenue throughout Japan was "close to zero" in the latter half of April.
100 theaters in Japan reopened this past weekend. With the release of many new films postponed, the top 10 rankings for this past weekend included nine previously released films, such as Weathering With You, your name., Shin Godzilla and the 4K remaster of Akira.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe officially confirmed the lifting of the state of emergency in 39 prefectures last Thursday. The eight prefectures that remain in a state of emergency are Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa, Hyogo, and Hokkaido.
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun via Otakomu
