2022 is fast coming to an end, and this is the perfect opportunity to look back on a year filled with terrific movies. We’ve checked the numbers reported by Crunchyroll on the most-searched movie titles in Japan, and we’re here to crown the winners. Here are the top ten most-searched movies of the year in Japan. Some obvious suspects have made the ranking, but others may surprise with their impact.
1. Suzume
Known in Japan as Suzume’s Locking Up, the film premiered in Japan in November 2022, with a scheduled international premiere set for April 2023. The movie introduces the titular girl Suzume as she and a boy find an old door, and after Suzume opens it, numerous other “Doors of Disaster” appear throughout Japan, prompting the two to find and lock them away.
2. One Piece Film Red
The newest One Piece movie in the incredibly popular franchise was created by the great mangaka Eiichiro Oda, and it earned over ¥18.61 billion ($136,262,122.24 USD) in Japan, despite a lawyer making strange claims about the movie. Having premiered in Tokyo on July 22nd, and August 6th in the rest of Japan, the story follows Luffy and his crew as they go to the island of Elegia to attend a concert by the renowned singer Uta. Behind Uta’s song hides an incredible power that can shape the world, for good or ill.
3. Shin Ultraman
After much hype, the 37th film in the Ultraman franchise acted as a reimagining of Ultraman, with the movie premiering in Japan on May 13th to resounding success. During the events of the film, a series of large monsters called kaiju invade Earth. The Japanese government establishes the S-Class Species Suppression Protocol to deal with such threats. During a more recent encounter, an alien lands and defeats the monster, and unfortunately kills an SSSP agent. The alien, Ultraman, takes his place to explore his new surroundings.
4. Top Gun Maverick
One of the bigger surprises of this movie list, Top Gun Maverick not only isn’t anime, but it wasn’t even made in Japan, but it’s still 4th. It’s a sequel to an American movie that was first made in 1986 and starred Tom Cruise. In the sequel, 30 years after graduating Top Gun, Maverick is still a test pilot, with his former rival Iceman protecting his career, while Hammer tries to shut him down. However, a new battle puts Maverick back in the pilot’s seat, with a fresh batch of pilots to back him up.
Premiering on May 27th, the film would go on to make over $1.488 billion (USD).
5. Jurassic World Dominion
Another surprising entry, an American film, and part of another legacy series, one that began in 1993, is at number 5. Jurassic World Dominion first premiered on June 10th. The film follows Owen Grady and his friends as they race to save both dinosaurs and humans alike in a world that had become truly chaotic.
6. The Last Ten Years
A movie adaptation of a novel written by author Ruka Kosaka, originally published on December 20th, 2007, Matsuri Takabayashi discovers that she only has ten years left to live, and decides not to fall in love. Her plans change when she meets Kazuto Manabe at a school reunion.
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Another surprise entry, though maybe not if you consider the Wall-Crawler’s history within Japan, this American film first premiered on December 17th, 2021. Three different Spider-Men team up to defeat their respective villains after Peter and Dr. Strange try to rewrite reality to make people forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man.
8. The Confidence Man JP – Episode of the Hero
First premiering on January 14th, Dako, Boku-chan, and Richard return to pull off the biggest job in Malta, carrying on a tradition of robbing noblemen to give to the poor in an adventure that spans centuries.
9. Drive My Car
Based on Haruki Murakami’s short story Drive My Car, as part of his 2014 collection Men Without Women, and premiering on August 20th, 2021, the film deals with different actors who are all trying to cope with their own losses and trauma while performing on stage.
10. Karada Sagashi
An adaptation of the web novel Karada Sagashi by Welzard, published between December 1st, 2011 to May 7th, 2014, Asuka and her friends are trapped in a time loop by a murderous ghost, who demands they find the body of her previous victim. The film premiered on October 14th, and not July 4th, which would have been more fitting since that’s the day Asuka and her friends are trapped in.
Well, were you surprised by any of the entries? Do you feel there’s a title or two that are missing? Please let us know in the comments.
