Considering that Japanese TV has convered Seung Yeon's injury during their entertainment news, Kara have definitely arrived. Hope that she recovers soon, so they can get even more popular in Japan. Looking forward to seeing more of them on Japanese and Korean TV.
Personally, I've found them more enjoyable to watch on the Japanese programmes compared to SNSD. Maybe it's a language thing, since Kara has picked up Japanese making it easier for them to interact on variety shows. You can really see their personalities coming through.