No hyper-popular Japanese person?

[Kakulin]

The most popular and internationalized asian actors/actresses are not Japanese. People like: Bruce Lee, Zhang Ziyi, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Michelle Yeow, Gordon Liu, and Pat Morita (he was american) are the most popular/internationalized/renowned asian actors. None are from Japan. When you think about it the most popular Japanese person is Shigeru Miyamoto, a videogames designer for Nintendo. lol

[nice gaijin]

As far as actors go, Ken Watanabe has had some presence in recent hollywood films, but in general, Asian actors and actresses (especially Japanese) get very little attention on this side of the Pacific. Part of this is because when asian movies come stateside, they are not in their original forms, but hammy remakes starring American actors and actresses. The American audience have a penchant for these Asian films without realizing it.

I think there is still a lot of discrimination and type-casting in hollywood, and it's a common belief that an Asian name cannot carry a big film. Because no one is really given a chance, Asian actors and actresses don't have an opportunity to break this stereotype and are relegated to secondary or tertiary roles. The cycle continues.

[Da Monstar]

Toshiro Mifune... He is a popular guy, Though he was born and raised in china in the first few years, I would still categorize him as a japanese by looks and possibly some ancestry.

He is so popular that even guys in Denmark have heard about him. There was even made a comedy movie called "last song of mifune" with absolut no relation to samurais, japan or anything else of that matter. The only thing is that the big brother dresses up to tease his brother 2 times or so And say that there is a mighty samurai in the basement, His name is Mifune, and he is strong! :-) thats about 1 minut of the 90 minut long movie.
For those who knows some about danish moveis, this was of the Dogme genre.

Wan't that gal Utada getting some fame in the US aswell?

[MeAndroo]

Utada Hikaru's CD wasn't nearly as well received as her albums in Japan were.

One thing you may have noticed about the OP's list is that, with the exception of Lucy Liu who is Chinese American, is that they are all known for martial arts or action movies.

If you're looking for people of Japanese descent, then people musicians like James Iha and Mike Shinoda are relatively big. Here's famous Japanese Americans. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_Americans) I'd say the most famous Japanese person in America is Ichiro Suzuki.

[Cue]

As for Actors, yeah, I agree with nice gaijin san, I too believe Ken Watanabe is, and also Ken Takakura(appeared in those yakuza movies, "Black Rain" and "Mr Baseball") might be famous in the States, too. But I don't recall any actress...

Ichiro and Matsui must be well known by baseball fans, Hayao Miyazaki by anime fans, I suppose... :-)

Q

[ricecake]

Yoko Ono Lennon is one worldly known Japanese old gal.

Yoko has been highly visible in US media since 1960's.

She's no professional entertainer,she amateurly dueted with late hubby John Lennon in the recorded album " Double Fantasy " with them two passionately kissing on the cover.

[Rich303]

'Yellow Magic Orchestra' were big in their day.
Ruichi Sakamoto from this group is still working as a musician...

...actors - Takeshi Kaneshiro (but, I think he is half Taiwanese)