Which Studio Ghibli film is the highest-grossing in Japan?

The highest-grossing Studio Ghibli film in Japan is “Spirited Away.” Released in 2001, Hayao Miyazaki’s fantasy follows Chihiro, a ten-year-old girl trapped in a spirit world after her parents are transformed into pigs. Its Japanese theatrical run became a landmark success for both animation and Japanese cinema.

“Spirited Away” earned more than ¥31 billion in Japan, with its total increasing through later theatrical re-releases. It originally became Japan’s highest-grossing film overall, holding that position for nearly two decades before being overtaken by “Demon Slayer: Mugen Train” in 2020. It remains above other Ghibli films such as “Princess Mononoke,” “Howl’s Moving Castle,” and “The Boy and the Heron” in domestic gross.

The film’s success was not limited to Japan: it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards. It is also often confused with “The Boy and the Heron,” which won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature much later, in 2024.