The Japanese box office jumped more than 17 percent to a record $2.39 billion (261 billion yen) in 2019, with admissions up more than 15 percent to 194,910, the highest attendance since 1971.

The Japanese box office leaped by 17% in 2019 to set a record $2.4 billion score, according to figures announced Tuesday by the Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan, locally known as Eirin.

A Japanese anime blockbuster has beaten the Oscar-winning classic “Spirited Away” to become the country’s highest-grossing movie ever — a significant feat as the global entertainment industry reels ...