19[4]Comparison with Foreign Countries
The data of foreign countries are from:
USA (and Canada) - Motion Picture Association of America(MPAA)’s "Theatrical Market Statistics"
France - Centre National du Cinema et de l'Image Animee (CNC)’s "Results"
England - British Film Institute(BFI)’s"Statical Yearbook"

Germany - Filmförderungsanstalt(FFA)’s "Die FFA-Förderungen"Sweden - Svenska Filminstitutet’s "Facts and Figures"
Australia - Screen Australia’s "Fact Finders"
Korea - Korean Film Council(KOFIC)’s「한국영화산업 결산」

In this section, we will compare the film exhibition at theatersin these countries saw twice as many films as the people inwith that in foreign countries.

Japan.
During these 10 years, the increase rate of the attendance

Attendance

was highest in Korea with 137%, increasing by 60 million

In 2016, attendance in the USA and Canada together was 132

people from 158.78 million in 2007 to 217.02 million, muchmillion, which was outstandingly high. This was followed byhigher than that of Japan. In France and Sweden, thethe attendance in Korea, France and Japan. If you take theattendance increased by 20%, despite the widened choice ofcountry’s population into consideration, Japan’s attendance

film watching formats such as online streaming. People inis smaller than others. The number of films a person went tothese countries still watch films at theaters in the same scale

see annually (the attendance divided by the population) in Japan was

as before.

1.4 films. This number was a return to that of the period before

Data gathering methods in these countries were not2011 when the Great East Japan Earthquake hit Japan and thenecessary unified, and you cannot simply compare thesenumber went down to 1.1 films. However, this number wasfigures. However, it is true that people in Japan do not watch

still the lowest among the top 8 countries. The highest

films at theaters as often

number is Korea’s 4.3 films, followed by 3.8 films in bothas the people in other countries and there are still more

USA/Canada and Australia, and France’s 3.2 films. The people

theater audiences to be developed.

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Attendance (2007-2016)(Thousand)Comparison with Foreign Countries -Attendance per Person (2007-2016)

20
Numbers of Theaters and Screens

40,000, in Germany and Sweden, their numbers were

The number of screens was highest in the USA, which wasbetween 20,000 and 30,000, and that in France was 36,477.

40,392, more than 10 times of that in Japan. In all the countries

Annual box office incomes per screen in 2015 were: about

except Germany and Sweden, the numbers of screens during63.17 million in Japan, about 28.39 million in France, and about

these 10 years increased. In Sweden and Germany, their

30.96 in Germany. In Europe, their numbers were more thannumbers were lower than the 10 years before, however, theyhalf of that in Japan. These figures did not change muchbegan to increase in 2013. In Europe, the large impact ofduring these 10 years. Nonetheless, movie theaters continued

digitalization of screening facilities was completed aroundto exist without decreasing in numbers.

2013, and many theaters seemed to close around this time.

In Europe, not all the movie theaters are conventional

When the population per screen is lower, it means that there

theaters (referring to the theaters in Japan screening 5-6 times every day).

are more screens near you. The number of population per

Some German theaters we introduced in our “Film Exhibition

screen in Japan was 36,559, and this means that there wereActivities Almanac 2016” close on Mondays and present

less screens compared with those in other countries. In

merely 2 to 3 screenings a day. There are also theaters

Japan, you do not have movie theaters near you. The USA’s

screening only once a day or only during the weekend.

number of screens is the highest, and the population per

Theaters in small towns have limited numbers of screenings

screen was 8,004. In France, the population per screen wasand their attendances are small. Some theaters host

11,059. Both in the USA and France, these numbers werescreenings only between Friday and Sunday operated bylower than 20,000.

volunteer staff.

The low average number of films a person went to see

This means that by employing diversified forms of theater

annually in Japan is related to the low number of screens. Youoperations, it is possible to maintain screens (theaters) near

do not or cannot go to see films at theaters simply because

you even in small towns. There are many formats of theater

there is no theater near you, therefore, the attendance would

operations not only in Germany, but in France, England andnot increase.

Sweden. There are support systems for various andunconventional film exhibition maintaining diverse

Attendance and Box Office Income per Screen

organizations and operations. In Japan, the area with no

The number of the annual attendance per screen was highest

theaters has been spreading recently, and it is necessary toin Korea with 84,280, compared to Japan, which number wasemploy film exhibition policy in order to make various ways of51,898. In England and Australia, their numbers were overscreenings possible

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Number of Theaters and Screens (2007-2016)

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Population per Screen

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Attendance per Screen

21
Theater Admissions and Box Office Income (2015)
In 2015, theater attendance in Japan was small, however, hervarious movie theaters and film exhibition activities. Policies

box office income was large, being third after that in the US

national, regional and community level. In addition, there isand China. The average theater admission price in Japan wasalso the support system by Europa Cinema, a cultural1,303 yen, higher than in other countries. The average theaterorganization under EU.

promoting film exhibition have been functioning at theadmission price in Sweden was 1,418 yen, and that in Englandwas 1,237 yen, close to that in Japan. Nonetheless, JapaneseComparing these other countries’ proportion of non-box

admission price was relatively high.

office income (income from public support and other operations) toAs we described before, the box office income per screen was

Japan's, their proportions are significantly higher. Theirlarge in Japan compared with other countries. After Korea

public support and policies promoting film exhibition are notand Japan, England and Australia came in with about 50

only financial. Movie theaters are expected to program in a

million yen, while European Countries like France, Germany,variety of ways related to their communities and developing

and Sweden came in with about 30 million yen.

young audiences and educational issues. When theseIn these European countries, there are organizations

activities become possible, movie theaters and exhibitors willadministrating the film industry and culture, and systems

become important in their local culture.

have been established in order to develop and support

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Admissions and Box Office Income (2015)

Comparison with Foreign Countries -Number of Film Released (2015)

22
Number of Films Released

increased during the mid-2000s in all 5 countries. The

In every country, the number of films released each year has

proportion of multi-screen theaters was highest in Korea

been increasing. In Japan and Korea, their numbers are morewith 94.3%, 2,428 screens out of Korea’s nationwide total ofthan 1,000. In Korea, 1,520 films were released in 2016,

2,575 screens. The total number of screens of other theaters

compared with 631 films released in 2012, 2.4 times more in 5

was only 147, however, this represents an increase of 30 fromyears, with about 80% of the increase from foreign films.

117 in 2014. In Korea, the total number of other types ofOnly in France and Japan, their domestic film shares aretheaters also increased. In Japan, the proportion of

more than 50% (51% in France and 53% in Japan). In Japan, from themulti-screen theaters was 87.7%, and the number of thelate 1980s to the early 2000s, many more foreign films werescreens of other types of theaters decreased from 832 to 427

released than Japanese films. However, from 2008, moreduring these 10 years.

Japanese films have been released. This made some people

Multi-screen theaters have been increasing in France andworry that Japanese film audiences may be inwardly oriented,

England. In France, the number of screens of other types ofhowever, recently, more foreign films have been released. Intheaters decreased by 200 during these 10 years, and that in2017, the ratio between Japanese and foreign films released

England increased by more than 10. In these two countries,

was 1 to 1, and their box office incomes were 55% vs. 45%,the number of other types of theaters was more than that ofrespectively. This situation is well balanced compared withmulti-screen theaters. In France, its number was 1,835,

that in other countries.

nearly 8 times more than that in Japan, making people feelthat they are close to theaters even in middle and small-sized

Portion of Multi-Screen Theaters

cities, towns and villages.

The proportion of multi-screen theaters consistently

Comparison with Foreign Countries - Portions of Multi-screen Theaters and Numbers of Screens