<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class=""><div data-testid="post_message" class="_5pbx userContent _3576" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="js_la"><p class="">NHK
reports that the comedian Shimura Ken, veteran of the Drifters and many
hit TV shows, has died of COVID-19. Shimura started out as an assistant (tsukibito) to the Drifters, a comedy group that was a star of film and TV, before becoming a member when Arai Chu left. He became one of the key members at the time when the Drifter’s “8-da yo! Zen’in shugo” ruled the airwaves with phenomenal ratings. Shimura went to star in dozens of hit comedy shows, creating many famous gags, gestures, and characters (such as Baka-tonosama). He was still starring in hit shows up until he was hospitalized. He was set to have his first starring role in a film, directed by Yamada Yoji, when he was diagnosed with COVID-19.</p><div class="">Pretty much everyone under the age of fifty in Japan grew up watching Shimura, so this is huge news, especially as Japan begins to think seriously about the coronavirus.</div></div></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><a href="https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200330/k10012357011000.html" class="">https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200330/k10012357011000.html</a></div><br class=""><br class=""><div class="">
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line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">Aaron Gerow<br class="">Professor<br class="">Film and Media Studies Program/East Asian Languages and Literatures</div><div class="">Chair, <span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-align: -webkit-auto;" class="">East Asian Languages and Literatures</span></div><div class=""><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" class="">Yale University</span></div><div class="">143 Elm Street, Room 210<br class="">PO Box 208324<br class="">New Haven, CT 06520-<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px;" class="">8324</span><br class="">USA<br class="">Phone: 1-203-432-7082<br class="">Fax: 1-203-432-6729<br class="">e-mail: <a href="mailto:aaron.gerow@yale.edu" class="">aaron.gerow@yale.edu</a></div><div class="">website: <a href="http://www.aarongerow.com" class="">www.aarongerow.com</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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