The company said it earned 25.6 billion yen ($218 million), 168 percent more than a year earlier.

Together, the companies expect to earn 70 billion yen by March 2006.

The company earned 60.2 billion yen ($463 million) as sales grew 2.1 percent.

The firm earned 26.2 billion yen ($218 million), 151 percent more than in the period a year earlier.

It turned its first profit last year, earning 1.4 billion yen, or about $11.7 million.

The company now expects to earn 48 billion yen ($436 million) in the period.

In the 1996 fiscal year the company earned 11.6 billion yen.

The company earned 27.95 billion yen ($252 million) in the same period a year ago.

This film earned 3.1 billion yen in the domestic Japanese box office.

It was a box office hit in Japan, earning 8.5 billion yen.