The Matrix Revolutions may have defied standard industry practice with its Wednesday November 5 opening - in Japan nearly all new films are released on Saturday - but it still managed to get to the top of the box office.

It's strong Japanese pop culture connections helped made it - and the entire Matrix trilogy - a hit. But a film with an even stronger Japanese flavour, Kill Bill, held off three new domestic challengers, including Tokyo International Film Fest opening film Like Asura, to keep second place in its third week on release.

Its opening week screen average, $79,564, also surpassed Revolution's $73,920.

Coming up on December 6 is Edward Zwick's The Last Samurai, a film that Pia, Japan's leading entertainment magazine, is already calling "the first samurai drama since Kurosawa's that we can take pride in worldwide."