In Japan, how does Stephen Seagal(actor(?))rate?

[MamaNeenie]

Is Stephen Seagal considered to be a "movie star" in Japan. An avid fan is convinced that in Japan he is very popular. I don't believe it. Fill me in on what the straight scoop really is, please(And I win a dinner from my friend!)

 

[Fantt]

I don't know how he is perceived in Japan, but he is considered by most people who take Aikido (the Japanese martial art that he's "famous" for) to be very skilled, if not a bit of a jerk. I think he attained a pretty high dan-level in Aikido. I'm not sure what his current status in the art is though...

 

[PopCulturePooka]

From what I've gathered here he is either an unknown or about as respected as he is in America.

 

[TwistedMac]

that's "Steven"... and i hate him.. he is the only "actor" (yeah right) I will decide not to watch a movie because of...

 

[Apollo]

I don't think Seagal is a "great" star in Japan. If he walked around the streets of Tokyo, I guess only 1 person would recognise him if he was lucky....
His time is over I think....maybe in the 1980s and early 1990s the girls would throw themselves at him - NOT me!

 

[budd]

japander only has like three commercials, but who knows? he might be the man walking dooown the street singing doo-wah-diddy, dee-dum-diddy-doo
i haven't seen any posters of him or anything like that recently though
"hard to keel" was stupid! how they gonna have a camera like that ten years before he in the coma? sony wasn't making no camera that size then!

 

[TwistedMac]

you don't need to bring up examples of how stupid hard to kill was.. everyone KNOWS the whole thing was stupid..