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▼ Ken Shimura, Comedian Whose Sketches Delighted Japan, Dies at 70
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TOKYO — Ken Shimura could make people laugh just by tweaking a traditional dance, mangling an English lesson or acting like a shogun fool.
Mr. Shimura, a beloved comedian in Japan, died on Sunday at a hospital in Tokyo, the Izawa Office, which represented him, said. He was 70.
His slapstick humor, physical comedy and naïve persona made him a household name in Japan for nearly five decades. Generations of children grew up watching his comedy skits and dance routines.
And before there was “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” Mr. Shimura introduced the concept of broadcasting footage contributed by viewers on the variety show “Kato-Chan Ken-Chan Gokigen TV,” which aired for six years on Saturday nights on TBS, one of Japan’s main television networks. Mr. Shimura started feeling sick on March 17 and developed a fever and extreme fatigue two days later. He was hospitalized on March 20 and tested positive for the coronavirus three days later.
Mr. Shimura, a beloved comedian in Japan, died on Sunday at a hospital in Tokyo, the Izawa Office, which represented him, said. He was 70.
His slapstick humor, physical comedy and naïve persona made him a household name in Japan for nearly five decades. Generations of children grew up watching his comedy skits and dance routines.
And before there was “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” Mr. Shimura introduced the concept of broadcasting footage contributed by viewers on the variety show “Kato-Chan Ken-Chan Gokigen TV,” which aired for six years on Saturday nights on TBS, one of Japan’s main television networks. Mr. Shimura started feeling sick on March 17 and developed a fever and extreme fatigue two days later. He was hospitalized on March 20 and tested positive for the coronavirus three days later.
- April 3, 2020
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