Perhaps a cliched title aped from [Hollywood's annual retrospective](http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/10/2013-best-year-at-movies), but animated films simply dominated the box office in Japan this year.  Six of the top-10 highest grossing films of the year, including the Top-3, are animated films.

¥12.00 billion ($123.2 million) / 9.67 million :: The Wind Rises :: 158 :: Toho
¥10 billion ↨
¥8.96 billion ($91.3 million) / 7.06 million :: Monsters University :: Final Total :: Disney
¥6.85 billion ($76.9 million) / 5.67 million :: One Piece Film Z :: Final Total :: Toei
¥5.93 billion ($65.7 million) / 4.82 million :: Les Miserables :: Final Total :: Toho-Towa
¥5 billion ↨
¥4.20 billion ($46.2 million) / 3.09 million :: Ted :: Final Total :: Toho-Towa
¥4 billion ↨
¥3.98 billion ($43.2 million) / 3.66 million :: Doraemon: Nobita's Secret Gagdet Museum :: Final Total :: Toho
¥3.63 billion ($37.1 million) / 3.03 million :: Detective Conan: Private Eye in the Distant Sea :: Final Total :: Toho
¥3.33 billion ($34.3 million) / 2.71 million :: Midsummer Formula :: Final Total :: Toho
¥3.25 billion ($33.8 million) / 2.78 million :: The After-Dinner Mysteries :: Final Total :: Toho
¥3.17 billion ($33.0 million) / 3.03 million :: Pokemon: ExtremeSpeed Genesect - Mewtwo Awakens :: Final Total :: Toho
¥3.15 billion ($32.7 million) / 2.70 million :: Like Father, Like Son :: Final Estimate :: Gaga
¥3.00 billion ($32.3 million) / 2.45 million :: Wreck-It Ralph :: Final Total :: Disney
¥3.00 billion ($31.0 million) / 2.35 million :: Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods :: Final Estimate :: Toei
¥3 billion ↨
¥2.82 billion ($32.4 million) / 2.21 million :: 007: Skyfall :: Final Estimate :: Sony
¥2.72 billion ($27.6 million) / 2.24 million :: The Kiyosu Conference :: 45 :: Toho
¥2.64 billion ($28.3 million) / 2.12 million :: Platinum Data :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.64 billion ($26.8 million) / 2.10 million :: SPEC: Close - Incarnation Part 1 :: 53 :: Toho
¥2.60 billion ($26.7 million) / 1.77 million :: Iron Man 3 :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.40 billion ($25.0 million) / 1.86 million :: Despicable Me 2 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥2.15 billion ($23.9 million) / 1.73 million :: Strawberry Night :: Final Estimate :: Toho
¥2.13 billion ($22.2 million) / 1.73 million :: The King of Apology :: Tracking Ends :: Toho
¥2.09 billion ($21.7 million) / 1.63 million :: The Lone Ranger :: Tracking Ends :: Disney
¥2.03 billion ($22.3 million) / 1.49 million :: A Good Day to Die Hard :: Final Estimate :: Fox
¥2 billion ↨
¥1.98 billion ($20.4 million) / 1.52 million :: Fast and Furious 6 :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.96 billion ($20.3 million) / 1.42 million :: World War Z :: Tracking Ends :: Toho-Towa
¥1.94 billion ($20.0 million) / 1.40 million :: Magi Madoka Magica: The Rebellion Story :: 58 :: Warner Bros.

Bold - Animated
Underlined - Domestic (Japan)


Of course, that alone wouldn't suffice to declare 2013 the greatest of all time.  After all, animated film [tend to do well in their in Japan](http://www.academia.edu/3693690/Manga_Movies_Project_Report_1_-_Transmedia_Japanese_Franchising), especially for established domestic brands like Ghibli, One Piece, and etc.  But consider the following:

* The Wind Rises (2013) - 12 billion yen / 9.67 million viewers - [top-5 grossing animated film](http://worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=55322&start=4200)
* One Piece Z (2013) - Biggest opening weekend, highest grossing, most-attended **One Piece** film of all-time
* Doraemon 34 (2013) - Biggest opening weekend, highest grossing, most attended **Doraemon** film of all time
* Detective Conan (2013) - Biggest opening weekend. highest grossing, most attended **Detective Conan** film of all time
* Lupin III Vs. Detective Conan (2013) - on track to exceed franchise record for both Detective Conan and **Lupin**.
* Franchise record breaking for **Dragon Ball, Pretty Cure, Pokemon** and so on
* Madoka: Rebellion (2013) and AnoHana (2013), the #1 and #3 grossing late-night anime film of all time

2013 is not only a good year, but a record-breaking one for almost every established anime IP that released an movie.  That fact should raise some eyebrows, [especially in deflation-plagued Japan](http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-16/japanese-ask-what-s-wrong-with-a-little-deflation-.html).  **Average movie ticket prices in Japan has stayed the same since 1993**.   Breaking records are hard when the inflation rate works against you.

Of all 2013 films that debuts about 100 million yen, animate films opens 90% higher than live-action ones on the average.

Animated - 21, Avg. Opening - ¥436 million
Live-Action - 63, Avg. Opening - ¥237 million


==2013 Top Grossing Films==

*(in Japan, [Oricon via worldofkj](http://worldofkj.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=55322&start=4225))*

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Rising tide floats all boats.


Sources
-----

Box Office Data

* http://forums.boxoffice.com/index.php?/topic/3478-japan-box-office-2013/page-129