Chiikawa Film Maintains Top Spot at Japan Box Office, Crayon Shin-chan Rises to 5th Place
The Chiikawa anime film continues its lead at the Japanese box office. According to the weekly box office data announced on August 25, the first feature film of Nagano's adorable series maintained its No. 1 spot in its second week in theaters. Following it, Crayon Shin-chan the Movie 2026 rose one spot to 5th place.
Distributed by Toho, the Chiikawa film was released nationwide in Japan on August 15, 2026. According to Kogyo Tsushinsha data, the film sold more than 400,000 tickets in its first three days, earning approximately 550 million yen, and made a strong opening. Maintaining its momentum in its second week, the production managed to stay at the top thanks to family audiences and the series' loyal fan base. The project, whose TV anime is also handled by studio Doga Kobo, holds special significance for fans as it is the first adventure of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi to be brought to the big screen.
Another notable rise of the week came from the Crayon Shin-chan front. The series' 33rd film, Crayon Shin-chan: Cho Karei! Shakunetsu no Kasukabe Dancers (Super Magnificent! The Scorching Heat of the Kasukabe Dancers), has been delivering a steady performance since its release on August 8. After closing last week in 6th place, the film climbed to 5th this week, once again proving the long-running series' strength at the box office. Shin-chan films, which have continued since 1990 and are adapted from Yoshito Usui's legendary manga, remain an indispensable choice for children and nostalgic audiences this year, just as they are every summer.
In the rest of the list, the competition among live-action adaptations draws attention. While the fifth live-action film of Yasuhisa Hara's historical epic Kingdom, the sequel Kingdom: Unmei no Honoo, dropped one spot to 7th place, the live-action Blue Lock film, adapted from Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura's soccer manga, rose to 9th place, managing to hold on in the top 10. Blue Lock's rise was driven by additional screenings that began on August 22 and the intense interest of the young audience.
This picture shows how diverse a competition the 2026 summer season is witnessing at the Japanese box office. On one hand, there is the family-friendly success of a phenomenon at the peak of kawaii culture like Chiikawa; on the other, there is the stability of a classic with over 30 years of history like Shin-chan, and the struggle of big-budget live-action projects like Kingdom and Blue Lock. In particular, Chiikawa's ability to carry the viral success achieved by its TV anime's short episodes into box-office leadership in feature-length format is an important signal for producers about the series' future. It is eagerly awaited how the race for the top will take shape with new anime films set to be released in the coming weeks.
