Hugh Jackman speaks Japanese, pulls up next to Mario Kart drivers on the road during Japan visit

From the look of these videos he shot, Wolverine is in love with Japan.

Like in any country, a film premiere in Japan is a rare opportunity for fans to see their favourite movie stars in the flesh, and it’s also a chance for the actors themselves to enjoy the sites of the country they’re visiting during their short stay.

The latest Hollywood star to grace our shores in Japan is Australian actor Hugh Jackman. In town to promote his new movie Logan, Jackman received a huge welcome from fans and media when he arrived with his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, at Narita Airport on Sunday.

ヒュージャックマン　夫妻　来日 #ローガン　#ローガン最強に素晴らしい作品だから観て！ @RealHughJackman 　 　成田空港 https://t.co/R5XFHfeFbE

—
かさぶた。■ Paris1号■ (@kasabuta999) May 22, 2017

Jackman’s followers on Twitter and Instagram would have known about his arrival after the actor posted a short video message to fans on his social media accounts. Showing his desire to connect with his Japanese fans, Jackman spoke entirely in Japanese, saying “Watakushi wa Nihon de kuru to eiga tame ureshii desu“, which, despite some tiny hiccups with particles and pronunciation, translates to “I’m happy to come to Japan for (my) movie“.

While his onscreen alter-ego Wolverine would probably opt to use the tough, macho “ore” pronoun to refer to himself, Jackman uses the beautifully polite “watakushi” in his video message instead.

Before attending the film premiere, Jackman had time to dine at some of Tokyo’s best restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Sushi Sugita in Nihonbashi…

And Narisawa, located in Minami Aoyama, which currently ranks second on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, and first in Japan.

He also popped by the new Ginza Six complex, pulling a peace-sign pose by the digital waterfall.

His wife joined him on his sightseeing tour, with this picture showing them outside a store selling traditional items.

Aussies will know the feeling of joy that comes with finding a good flat white in Japan, and Jackman found this one at Australian-owned restaurant Bill’s in Tokyo.

While the famous actor managed to see and do a lot during his short stay, one of the things that seemed to surprise him most was an encounter with a group of Mario Kart drivers who pulled up next to his chauffeur-driven van. He shared this video of them online, gleefully pointing out all the characters as they took off, saying: “Princess Peach!” “Is that Bowser?” “Go Mario!” “Go Luigi!” “Go! Go, go, go, go!”

▼ These tourists had no idea they were being filmed by a famous Hollywood star.

After having fun around the capital, Jackman and his wife appeared at the red carpet premiere of Logan, happily signing autographs for fans who’d waited a long time to catch a glimpse of the film’s main character in real life.

His latest update online, where Jackman can be seen pointing at a poster for Kurosawa’s acclaimed film Yojimbo, comes with the hashtag #LastStop, suggesting that Wolverine is now on his way out of Japan.

Jackman’s Japan visit concludes his worldwide promo tour for Logan, the third and final solo film for the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. Having been attached to the superhero character for so long, this must be a bittersweet ending for the star, but thankfully he still has plenty more films to promote up his sleeve so it shouldn’t be too long before we get to see him having fun in Japan again!

Source, featured image: Instagram/thehughjackman

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