Toshiro Mifune as Obi-Wan Kenobi?

[ZombieSlayer54]

So, I was reading up on Mr. Toshiro today, and I found out an interesting tidbit:

Apparently, George Lucas originally wanted to cast Toshiro Mifune as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars film, but executive meddling made him cast a Western actor instead.

Needless to say, I immediately flipped out at how awesome that would have been.

However, how awesome it may or may not have been aside...

What sort of short-term effects do you think Mifune being casted as Obi-Wan Kenobi would have had on Star Wars itself, and what long-term effects do you think it would have had on both the Japanese and American film industries? Would Toshiro starring in such an important part in such an popular film (If it remains popular without the original Obi-Wan.) have shed light on his Japanese works to the American public at large, bringing American interest to Japanese media well before the great anime exportation in the 90s? Or would it have very little effect?