“Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle” Overtakes “Spirited Away” to Become Second Highest Grossing Movie Ever in Japan

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, the first in a planned new trilogy based on the popular manga and anime series, accumulated Japanese box office take of ¥33.6 billion over the 60 days from its opening on July 18 to September 15. Attendance figures so far amount to 23.0 million. The film’s official account announced the details on X (formerly Twitter). Including international showings in the United States and elsewhere, attendance figures total 55.0 million and box office takings the equivalent of ¥68.0 billion.

The earlier Demon Slayer film Mugen Train (2020) is Japan’s highest grossing film ever, according to Kōgyō Tsūshinsha, with a total box office take of ¥40.8 billion. The follow-up Infinity Castle is now in second place, having overtaken Miyazaki Hayao’s 2001 anime Spirited Away, which stands at ¥31.7 billion. Demon Slayer was originally a manga by Gotouge Koyoharu, and tells the story of the young Kamado Tanjirō, who battles demons after his family is killed by the supernatural creatures.

Of the top 20 films based on Japanese box office, compiled by Kōgyō Tsūshinsha, 14 are animated. This includes the 2 Demon Slayer movies, 4 films from Miyazaki Hayao, 3 from Shinkai Makoto, and 2 in the Detective Conan series.

The 2003 film Bayside Shakedown 2 is the all-time highest grossing Japanese live action movie in the domestic market, in eleventh place overall. Kokuhō, released in June 2025, is the second highest, in nineteenth place. Based on a novel by Yoshida Shūichi of the same title, it depicts the turbulent lives of two kabuki actors. The fine performances by Yoshizawa Ryō and Yokohama Ryūsei have helped turn it into a blockbuster hit. Kokuhō and Infinity Castle are both currently being screened in Japanese theaters, meaning that they have a chance of climbing farther up the list in weeks to come.

Highest-Grossing Films in Japan

Data from Kōgyō Tsūshinsha, as of September 15, 2025. Starred titles are anime films.

1. ★ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train (2020), ¥40.8 billion
2. ★ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle (2025), ¥33.1 billion
3. ★ Spirited Away (2001), ¥31.7 billion
4. Titanic (1997), ¥27.8 billion
5. ★ Frozen (2014), ¥25.5 billion
6. ★ Your Name (2016), ¥25.2 billion
7. ★ One Piece Film Red (2022), ¥20.3 billion
8. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), ¥20.3 billion
9. ★ Princess Mononoke (1997), ¥20.2 billion
10. ★ Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), ¥19.6 billion
11. Bayside Shakedown 2 (2003), ¥17.4 billion
12. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), ¥17.3 billion
13. ★ The First Slam Dunk (2022), ¥16.5 billion
14. Avatar (2009), ¥15.9 billion
15. ★ Detective Conan: The Million-Dollar Pentagram (2024), ¥15.8 billion
16. ★ Ponyo (2008), ¥15.5 billion
17. ★ Suzume (2022), ¥14.9 billion
18. ★ Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback (2025), ¥14.7 billion
19. Kokuhō (2025), ¥14.3 billion
20. ★ Weathering with You (2019), ¥14.2 billion

Data Sources

(Translated from Japanese: Banner photo: Fans take picture of the Infinity Castle characters at a Tokyo cinema ahead of the film’s opening on July 18, 2025. © Kyōdō.)