2001 turned into a record-breaking year for Japanese cinemas, with total ticket sales jumping to about 163.3 million — roughly a 20.6% rise from 2000.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, distributed by Toho, dominated the market and dethroned Titanic to become Japan’s highest-grossing film, finishing the year near $227 million domestically.

Hollywood fare still performed well: Spielberg’s A.I. earned about $78 million in Japan, while the late-year release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (released Dec. 1) surged to roughly $122.4 million by month’s end and was on track to rank among the top foreign imports.

Toho enjoyed a particularly strong year beyond Spirited Away. The studio distributed Pokemon 4 (≈ $30 million) and the effects-driven Onmyoji (≈ $24 million). Of the 15 Japanese films that crossed the 1 billion-yen threshold in 2001, Toho handled 10; five of those were animated features and one was a new Godzilla entry.

Toei, Japan’s last fully integrated studio, placed second in market share. Its biggest earner was Battle Royale (released December 2000) at about $23.8 million, followed by animated titles One Piece and Digimon (around $23 million) and the romance Hotaru (~$17.8 million). Toei Animation’s catalog contributed several strong grosses. The drama Go, selected as Japan’s Oscar entry, earned praise but underperformed at the box office.

Animation and film adaptations of best-selling books remained the safest domestic bets. Even so, not every big-budget project succeeded: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within — a high-cost CG feature reportedly produced for about $137 million — struggled internationally and barely reached the 1 billion-yen mark in Japan. Despite heavy promotion from distributor Gaga Communications, the tepid returns prompted Square Co. to step away from movie production and refocus on its core videogame business.

South Korean cinema made noticeable inroads into Japan as well. The military/friendship drama JSA performed respectably at about $9 million, helping independent distributor Cinequanon gain traction. The rising interest in Korean culture, coupled with the upcoming Japan–Korea co-hosted Soccer World Cup, spurred several joint projects: Toho slated the Tokyo–Seoul cop thriller Seoul for release, and Cinequanon planned a political thriller, KT, in partnership with Korean producers.

Selected Japanese titles being marketed internationally included:

• Go: An adaptation of Kazuki Kaneshiro’s novel about a Japanese-born Korean youth, directed by Isao Yukisada. Japan’s submission for the foreign-language Oscar; modest domestic box office but some success in Korea.
• Seoul: A Toho-backed Japanese–Korean co-production, an action drama about police officers from Tokyo and Seoul, directed by Masahiko Nagasawa; Toho’s slate also featured the latest Godzilla instalment.
• The Happiness of the Katakuris: Shochiku’s offbeat comedy-horror-musical from Takashi Miike, about a dysfunctional family opening a countryside guesthouse. Shochiku’s festival-friendly offerings also included Hur Jin-ho’s One Fine Spring Day and the drama To Dance with the White Dog.

What are the Harry Potter Movies about and Where to Watch

What are the Harry Potter Movies about and Where to Watch: These acclaimed films chronicle the magical adventures of Harry Potter as he confronts the dark wizard Lord Voldemort and discovers his pivotal role in the wizarding world's fate. For viewers wondering where to watch harry potter, the series is accessible through popular streaming services such as Max (formerly HBO Max), Peacock, and Netflix in various regions, or available for rental/purchase via platforms like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.

Why Choose SafeShell as Your Netflix VPN?

If you want to Access region-restricted content such as Harry Potter movies, you may want to consider the SafeShell VPN. Its network is tuned for streaming so you can jump between libraries with minimal buffering and consistent high-definition playback; intelligent server routing and dedicated streaming nodes help keep picture quality steady even during peak hours. SafeShell VPN also supports multiple simultaneous connections across desktops, phones, and smart TVs, and an app-centric mode lets you unlock different regional catalogs at the same time without juggling devices or complicated settings.

Beyond smooth playback, SafeShell VPN emphasizes fast, reliable throughput and privacy protections that avoid ISP throttling while keeping your data encrypted with a proprietary protocol designed for secure streaming. The apps are straightforward to install and use, so you can test performance risk-free using a flexible trial before committing, making it easy to verify that SafeShell VPN meets your speed, device, and security needs.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Watch Harry Potter with SafeShell VPN

To stream the Harry Potter films with SafeShell VPN, follow these clear steps: - Create an account and subscribe to the SafeShell VPN plan that fits you, complete the signup and verification so your subscription is active. - Download the correct SafeShell VPN client for your device (Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, etc.) and install it, allowing any requested permissions. - Open the app and sign in, then pick the operating mode that suits streaming—APP mode is recommended for consistent playback. - From the server list pick a location whose Netflix library contains the films you want, connect and wait for the secure connection to establish. - Launch the Netflix app or website, sign into your Netflix account, search the regional catalog and enjoy watching Harry Potter.