It's been a not-so-well-kept secret for many years that Hollywood actors who you would never see doing a TV commercial were in fact doing TV commercials, just not in the US. Japan was the place where someone like Brad Pitt could make some extra dough without being branded as a sell out, and many more of the Hollywood elite have shilled for Japanese companies. Those days seem to be gone, though, and more and more folks in Japan are losing their jones for US stars and embracing native talent. One explanation is that the budget for big name stars just isn't there anymore,  but a more accurate explanation is that American actors don't impress like they used to.