Is Ai Fukuhara famous in Japan?

[包龙星]

Is Ai Fukuhara very famous in Japan?
she's very famous in China for her lovely face and special charm..
she's called "瓷娃娃" by many chinese fans
I also love her very much..not only because she's pretty but also she

can speak chinese...
Is she very famous in Japan?
http://news.cctv.com/sports/tabletennis/20070523/images/20070523100503_fuyuanai.jpg
:blush: :blush:

[hanachan]

Many Japanese know her name. But table tennis is not so popular in Japan.
(though many of us like playing it with friends)
I'm not sure whether she is famous as same as other popular athletes.
However, I remember that her first appearance was rather sensational. She was 5 year-old girl, very cute. :-)

[kamikaze_sg]

She is known to most, as Ai chan during Olympia Games....
She is cute, but she is a little short. :wave:

[Mikawa Ossan]

I saw a special about her on TV last year or the year before.

She's probably the most famous table tennis player in Japan, that seems like a safe bet to me.

[Arch]

I've heard of her even all the way from Europe. Although I play Table Tennis myself and watch it often, so I am an exception.