Ken Shimura

Yasunori Shimura (志村 康徳), known professionally as Ken Shimura (志村 けん), was a Japanese comedian.

He was born in Higashimurayama, Tokyo.

He started his career as an assistant to the comedy band The Drifters, led by Chōsuke Ikariya.

He appeared as members of the group on popular comedy shows that gained massive popularity from the 1970s to the 1980s.

Hachiji-dayo! Zen'in-shūgō achieved the highest viewership rating of 50.5%, and The Drifters Daibakushō (ドリフ大爆笑) reached 40.4% viewership.

These shows made us nationally popular.

In 1974, He joined the group, replacing Chū Arai.

Shimura became known in 1974, replacing Chu Arai in the famous comedy group The Drifters.

With the help of the other members of the group, he learned to act and make the audience laugh.

Over time, he showed a knack for comedy.

Some memorable pictures of that time are the mustache dance, in which he starred with Cha Katō and the song Higashimurayama, referring to his homeland.

With this group, he participated in the weekly program ''Hachiji Dayo!

Zen'inshugo!'' from 1974 to 1985, reaching 40% to 50% of viewers at their best.

From 1977, he also participated in the television program Dorifu Daibakusho ("Dorifu, big burst of laughter"), which were special sketches, totaling one and a half hours.

It is currently possible to see members together only on television specials.

The rapport Shimura had with Cha Katō, also a member of Higashimurayama, kept them together on television.

After the end of Hachiji-dayo! in 1985, he began to work independently as well.

He appeared on shows like, with Cha Katō, a fellow member of the group, ," and , portraying characters like Stupid Lord (バカ殿様) and Strange Older Man (変なおじさん). These characters became highly popular.

Shimura's comedic work was inspired in part by that of Jerry Lewis.

In 1986, they created the Kato-chan Ken-chan Gokigen Terebi, which aired until 1992.

In The Detective Story, they are two detective friends who get into a lot of trouble.

The high ratings allowed for high-cost scenes with exploding cars, helicopters and crowds.

A famous painting of this time is Shimura as a monk, who asked people to repeat the words "Daijoubuda, ... ueh, ueh, ueh", whereas "daijoubuda" literally means "I'm all right."

This program ran about three times a year since 1986.

In it, Shimura is a feudal lord ("tono") who does not want to rule and only thinks about having fun.

The character was created at the time of ''Hachiji Dayo!

Zen'inshugo!'' and is characterized by an all-white face, extremely thick eyebrows and hair tied at the top of the head.

The program always featured celebrity stakes.

His show, Ken Shimura Daijoubuda, a satire of modern Japanese society, aired from 1987 to 1993.

Following up his previous big hits, Shimura led several shows, mostly on the Fuji TV network.

From 1996, he began working with newbie Yuuka.

Shimura's participation in the career of humorists (such as Katsuhiro Higo and Ryuuhei Ueshima, and Haruna Kondou and Haruka Minowa) and other celebrities is notorious.

In 2001, Shimura formed a duet with Naoko Ken as "Ken♀♂Ken" in "Ginza atari de Gin Gin Gin" (銀座あたりでギンギンギン).

In 2006, he formed and led his own comedy theater, Shimurakon (Shimura Spirit).

''Tensai!

Shimura Dōbutsuen'' continued airing after Shimura's death, with on air remembrances of his time with the animals.

On July 4, 2020, it was reported that Nippon TV had decided to end the broadcast, citing that it would be painfully difficult and heartbreaking to continue filming in a set filled with memories, that was destined for Shimura's advice.

The last broadcast was set for September.

Shimura was hospitalized for severe pneumonia on 20 March 2020; he lost consciousness after being anesthetized and hooked up to a ventilator on the following day.

Then, on 23 March it was confirmed that he had COVID-19.