His films may have influenced the development of today’s anime. He’s by far the best known cartoon character and his name (written ミッキー) is equally popular even in Japan.
Walt Disney established the birth date of Mickey Mouse on November 18, 1928, the day of the premiere of Steamboat Willie. That wasn’t the first cartoon with Mickey Mouse, but it was the first one with sound, and the voice of Mickey was performed by Walt Disney himself, until 1947.
Despite the huge audience of anime, the Disney “competition” has a very strong presence in Japan. Leaving aside the specialized shops from Akihabara, the quantity of Disney related goods on the Japanese shops is similar to quantity of anime related merchandise.
Image via Wikipedia
More, as everybody knows, Tokyo Disney Resort is an important place on the map of Disney Parks and Resorts.
Happy Birthday, Mickey!
Mickey Mouse at Tokyo DisneySea: