Ken Shimura

Ken Shimura was a Japanese comedian who started his career as an assistant to the comedy band The Drifters, led by Chōsuke Ikariya. He joined the group in 1974 and appeared on popular comedy shows that gained massive popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s, such as Hachiji-dayo! Zen'in-shūgō and The Drifters Daibakushō. He also worked independently and created his own shows, such as Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen TV, Shimura Ken no Daijōbu-dā, and Shimura Ken no Baka Tono-sama. He portrayed various characters, such as Baka Tono-sama (Stupid Lord), Hen na Oji-san (Strange Older Man), and Henna Sensei (Strange Teacher). He was known for his slapstick humor and his ability to make his co-stars laugh. He was inspired by American comedian Jerry Lewis and was sometimes called "Japan's Robin Williams". He was also a singer and released several songs, such as "Higashimurayama Ondo" and "Nipponjin no Uta". He was set to star in his first feature film, God of Cinema, and to run in the Olympic torch relay before his death. He died on March 29, 2020, from COVID-19, becoming the first Japanese celebrity to die from the virus. He was widely mourned by the public and his fellow comedians. He received a posthumous award from the Japan Record Awards for his contribution to the music industry.