Japan is often a popular destination for American wrestlers to go for short tours and get some exposure. Many wrestlers who have had underwhelming stints in major US promotions have gone on to bigger heights in Japanese companies. In fact, Canadian-born Kenny Omega, who burst on to the scene at New Japan Pro-Wrestling, already holds Japanese citizenship.

RELATED: 10 NJPW Talents Who Won The Most Titles Without The Top Championship

At the same time, many talented Japanese wrestlers who moved to US promotions have found the experience a bit more tiring. Pro Wrestling Noah ace KENTA's failed WWE stint as Hideo Itami is just one of many such instances. In fact, NJPW ended its association with Impact Wrestling after the mistreatment of Kazhuchika Okada.

There are a few  Japanese wrestlers who did well in the States though. Excluding kayfabe-Japanese wrestlers, the following stars made quite an impact in the USA.

10 Tajiri

Tajiri Rega

The 'Japanese Buzzsaw' spent over a decade winning titles in the United States and started out by capturing the Television Championship and the Tag Team Championship in ECW before the promotion folded.

RELATED: 10 Undersized Wrestlers You Probably Forgot About

Adept at playing the comedic babyface in addition to the deranged heel, Tajiri's segments with William Regal in the WWE were comedy gold. During a seven-year stint with the company, he would capture the United States, Cruiserweight, Light Heavyweight, and World Tag Team Titles. Tajiri would create the vicious Tarantula submission hold and popularize the Green Mist to the Western audience, becoming the most popular Japanese wrestler in the WWE during the 2000s.

9 Masahiro Chono

Chono

One of the few Japanese wrestlers to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, Masahiro Chono even defeated the legendary Lou Thesz in a career that spanned over 30 years. He also successfully defended the title against Stone Cold Steve Austin in a match where Austin botched a sit-down piledriver, injuring Chono's neck eerily similar to how Owen Hart would botch the same move on Austin a few years later.

Chono wrestled in WCW during the mid-'90s, becoming a member of the nWo and faced Bill Goldberg in a match that supposedly turned into a shoot. Chono would lead nWo Japan in NJPW before returning full-time to the company in the early years of the new millennium.

8 Takeshi Morishima

Morishima

The very first non-American ROH World Heavyweight Champion, Takeshi Morishima, wrestled in the United States while still under contract with Pro-wrestling Noah. Morishima won the ROH World Title in 2007 and went on to have classic matches with the likes of Samoa Joe, Homicide, and Nigel McGuinness.

Daniel Bryan was Morishima's greatest opponent and the future leader of the Yes Movement was left with a detached retina after a match with Morishima at an ROH PPV. Morishima even had try-out matches with the WWE in 2008 before returning to Noah to win their World Title multiple times.

7 Asuka

Asuka

Already the greatest female Japanese wrestler to compete in the WWE, Asuka is the current RAW Women's Champion in her second reign. Additionally, she was won the SmackDown Women's Title, NXT Women's Title, the 2018 Royal Rumble match, and the 2020 Money in the Bank ladder match. Alongside Bayley and Sasha Banks, Asuka holds the distinction of winning all available titles in the company.

She has competed primarily in the United States since 2015 and is a solid fan favorite on RAW. Additionally, Asuka has a history of being a freelance graphic designer and video game journalist in addition to being immensely popular on social media.

6 The Great Kabuki

Great Kabuki with Gary Hart

One of the first Japanese wrestlers to compete for an extended period in the United States, the Great Kabuki was the one who introduced the 'Asian mist' which would later be adopted by the likes of the Great Muta and Tajiri. He won multiple titles in different NWA promotions in the United States, before becoming a legend in WCCW under the tutelage of Gary Hart.

The Great Kabuki won the NWA American Heavyweight Title, WCCW Television Title, and the WCCW Tag Team Title and had feuds with the likes of Dusty Rhodes, Bruiser Brody, and Abdulla the Butcher in the United States. His thrust kicks were a major attraction and he even made an appearance in the WWE, competing at the 1994 Royal Rumble.

5 Jushin 'Thunder' Liger

Jushin Liger

Despite being part of the NJPW roster since 1984, Jushin 'Thunder' Liger's style influenced countless American light heavyweights in the 90s. Liger would capture Light Heavyweight titles in NWA and WCW and wrestle in the first-ever match on Monday Nitro.

RELATED: 10 Biggest Takeaways From Wrestle Kingdom 14

Liger is a record 11-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion with one reign lasting 628 days. He has wrestled in major US promotions like WCW, WWE, TNA, and ROH over the years. Liger wrestled his final match at WrestleKingdom 14 earlier this year and was announced to be part of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2020 for his contributions to the business.

4 The Great Muta

The Great Muta

Similar to Masahiro Chono, the Great Muta gained international fame by wrestling in various NWA territories in the United States. One of only three wrestlers to win world titles at New Japan, All Japan, and NWA, Muta aka Keiji Mutoh is a true legend in the business.

RELATED: 10 Wrestlers You Didn't Realise Were Part Of NWO Japan

He was involved in feuds with big names like Ric Flair and Lex Luger in WCW and won the NWA Television Title from Sting in 1990. He returned to WCW in the late 90s and became part of nWo Japan alongside Chono.

Additionally, he is the founder of the Wrestle-1 promotion and is still going strong at the age of 57.

3 Ultimo Dragon

Ultimo Dragon

Ultimo Dragon trained in Japan before going over to Mexico to master the Lucha libre style of wrestling as well. In 1997, he held a record 10 different Junior Heavyweight titles concurrently, including the NWA World Middleweight and WCW Cruiserweight Championship, which is a record that stills stands today.

In WCW, he beat Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko to win the Cruiserweight Title twice. Ultimo Dragon also had two reigns with the Television Title as well, beating Prince Iaukea and William Regal respectively to achieve each reign.

The master of the Asai moonsault would come over to the WWE in 2003 but would be underutilized despite his immense popularity. Ultimo Drago would leave the company after a year.

2 Shinsuke Nakamura

Nakamura

After winning all there is to win at NJPW, Shinsuke Nakamura made his way to the WWE in 2016, joining NXT. He has gone on to capture multiple championships since then, including winning the NXT Championship and the United States Championship twice. Additionally, Nakamura has also captured the Intercontinental and the SmackDown Tag Team Titles while also becoming the first Japanese male to win the Royal Rumble match.

Nakamura's Wrestlemania debut saw him challenge for the WWE Title, but he was defeated by AJ Styles.

1 Antonio Inoki

Inoki vs Ali

The founder of  New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Antonio Inoki became famous in the United States after a 1976 match against Boxing World Champion Muhammed Ali which laid the foundations for present-day MMA. Additionally, he wrestled WCW Champion Ric Flair at an event in North Korea which drew close to 200,000 spectators and is still the record attendance for a wrestling event in the world. He would win multiple titles in American promotions in addition to a controversial stint as WWE Champion.

In 1979, WWE Champion Bob Backlund took on Inoki in a title match in Japan. Inoki would win the match and the title, seemingly becoming the first-ever Japanese WWE Champion. He would lose a rematch to Backlund six days later, but the decision was changed to a no-contest.

Inoki refused the title on the same day and Backlund won the vacant title a week later. WWE does not recognize Inoki's reign as Champion, but he remains the most well-known Japanese wrestler of all time.

NEXT: 10 Backstage Stories About NJPW That We Can't Believe