Japan hopes for first acting Oscar in 50 years

TOKYO, Jan 24 (Reuters) Japan was abuzz with Oscar excitement today after Rinko Kikuchi was nominated for best supporting actress and Japanese-language film ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' won a surprise nomination for best picture.

Kikuchi's nomination for her role as a deaf and mute schoolgirl in ''Babel'' grabbed headlines and dominated television news, lifting her from relative obscurity in her homeland.

''It's impressive. She faces tough competition, but I hope she wins,'' said Naohito Yokoyama, 31, who read the news on his mobile phone in the morning.

Kikuchi would be the first Japanese to win an Oscar in an acting category since Miyoshi Umeki won the award for her supporting role in ''Sayonara'' in 1957.

Her acting is still little-known in Japan -- she has mainly appeared in television commercials and small films, and ''Babel'' is not due to open in the country until April.

But the 26-year-old, who has reportedly gone through a tough, year-long audition for her Oscar-nominated role, shot to stardom amid a media frenzy over this season's film awards.

Kikuchi won an award for ''breakthrough performance by an actress'' from the National Board of Review last month and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

''Babel'' weaves together plot lines from Morocco, Japan and the US-Mexican border, with Kikuchi's character trying to come to terms with her mother's death.

Japanese were happy to see ''Letters from Iwo Jima'' nominated for a best picture Oscar, although none of the film's Japanese stars made the list of acting nominees.

The film, one of director Clint Eastwood's pair of films about World War Two, starred Ken Watanabe, adored by Japanese fans for his roles in big-budget Hollywood films such as ''The Last Samurai'' and ''Memoirs of a Geisha''.

Movie fans said they hoped more Japanese acting talent would step on to the international stage.

''It started with Ken Watanabe, but more and more Japanese are on screen playing bigger roles,'' said Chikako Ishizuka, 25.

''They're Japanese, but it's like they're foreign,'' she said.

The Oscars will be handed out in Hollywood on February 25.

REUTERS PB SSC1358