World – famous celebrities who love Japan!

 

Do you like Japan? There are a lot of Japan-loving celebrities in the world. Of course some may just be saying that they love Japan, but there are many celebrities who has lived in Japan or can even speak Japanese!

Japanophilia refers to the appreciation and love of Japanese culture, people or history. In Japanese, the term for Japanophile is “shinnichi” (親日), with “shin” (しん) equivalent to the English prefix ‘pro-‘, and  “nichi” (にち), meaning “Japanese” (as in the word for Japan “Nihon”).

 

 

Celebrities who speak Japanese

 

Benji Madden  (Lead guitarist for the band “Good Charlotte” and Cameron Diaz’s husband)

 

Diego Forlan  (Uruguayan footballer)

 

Dragan Stojkovicski   (Serbian footballer)

 

Edward Norton  (American actor)

 

Freddie Mercury  (Lead vocalist of the rock band “Queen”)

 

Marty Friedman  (Lead guitarist for heavy metal band “Megadeth”)

 

Natalie Portman  (Actress with dual Israeli and American citizenship)

 

Nicolas Cage  (American Actor)

 

Pierre Littbarski  (German football manager and former footballer)

 

Rivers Cuomo   (American musician: Lead vocalist of the rock band “Weezer”)

 

Steven Seagal  (American Actor)

 

 

 

 

People who dote on Japan

There are many celebrities in this list with study abroad experiences in Japan or are regular appearances on Japanese TV!

《Read more》

 

 

 

 

Celebrities who have openly expressed their affinity to Japan

 

Alessandro Del Piero  (Italian former footballer)

 

Bae Yong-joon  (South Korean Actor)

 

BoA  (South Korean Singer)

 

Cyndi Lauper  (American Singer)

 

Gwen Stefani  (American Singer)

 

Hugh Jackman  (Australian Actor)

 

Jean Reno  (French Actor)

 

Jerome Le Banner  (French former kickboxer and K-1 fighter)

 

Jodie Foster  (American Actress)

 

John Lennon  (English singer and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles)

 

John Mayer  (American Singer)

 

Jon Bon Jovi  (the founder and frontman of the rock band Bon Jovi)

 

Justin Bieber  (Canadian Singer)

 

Liam Gallagher  (English Singer : the co-lead singer of the rock band Oasis)

 

Luis Figo  (retired Portuguese footballer)

 

Madonna  (American Singer)

 

Mariah Carey  (American Singer)

 

Muse  (English Rock Band)

 

Quentin Tarantino  (American Director)

 

Shirley MacLaine  (American Actress)

 

Sofia Coppola  ( American screenwriter, director, producer, and former actress. She is the daughter of director, producer, and screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola)

 

Steve Jobs  (American entrepreneur and business magnate)

 

Steven Tyler  (lead singer of rock band Aerosmith)

 

Tim Burton  (American film director)

 

Tom Cruise  (American Actor)

 

 

Among many others ……!

 

 

 

We are Japanophiles

There are celebrities who are interested in Japanese food and culture, celebrities who visit Japan on vacation many times.

It’s a famous story that Lady Gaga tattooed “LOVE TOKYO” on her shoulder, and many celebrities name their pets after Japanese words.

 

Alina Zagitova (Russian figure skater) got Akita-breed dog. She became enamored with the breed after seeing a magazine photo while training in Japan. Zagitova is not the first prominent Russian figure to receive the gift of an Akita-breed dog.

 

 

The Akita prefectural government gave Russian President Vladimir Putin an Akita puppy called Yume in 2012 as thanks for Russia’s support after the northeastern Japan earthquake and tsunami.

 

 

In addition, many celebrities guest star on Japanese TV! It is very flattering so many celebrities love Japan!

 

The lovely ladies of “Descendants 2” Dove Cameron and Sofia Carson were in Japan for the premiere of the movie! Sofia tweeted “Konnichiwa Japan❤.”