You probably know who Hideo Kojima is. He makes Metal Gear Solid. But is he famous? Probably, but that doesn't mean mainstream Japanese celebs know who the heck he is.
Kojima appeared on a recent episode of variety show Real Scoop, talking about how popular he is abroad.
Famous celebrities like Yusuke Kamiji as well as comedians like Kanako Yanagihara appear on the show (Kamiji, who is in the Guiness Book of World Records for most unique visits to his blog in 24 hours, appears in movies and on television as well as releasing popular singles). Even though Kamiji appears on another show with pin-up model Akina Minami, who did promotional work for Metal Gear Solid IV, he doesn't seem to have the slightest who Hideo Kojima is!
The reaction to when Kojima was shown on Real Scoop was, "Who?" The show proceeded to introduce the Konami board member, explaining that he's responsible for Metal Gear and that he was one of Newsweek's top ten people of 2002. The rest of the segment showed various Western gamers talking about Kojima, including one lady who said Kojima is a god.
Kojima might be a god, but he's hardly a household name in Japan like Yusukue Kamiji or Kanako Yanagihara. Then again, is Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi? Yes, yes, he is. But not for video games.
小島監督がテレビに出演→芸能人「誰！？」 [Game News Flash]