Popular Japanese comedian Ken Shimura, who had been hospitalised after being infected with the coronavirus, has died. He has become the first Japanese celebrity to die of the virus. His death, late on Sunday, set off widespread grief among fans.
Shimura, 70, one of Japan’s best-known comedians with a career dating back to the early 1970s, reportedly had lung cancer surgery in 2016. He developed a fever and respiratory problems on March 19 and was hospitalised, media said. Dominating the television comedy scene in the 1970s and 1980s, one of his best-known acts was a clueless feudal lord with a face painted white with thick black eyebrows.
Fans took to social media to lament his death, which some said should serve to highlight what a major threat the coronavirus actually is. “So very sad. It’s probably bad to say this, but I hope his death helps Japanese, who still don’t seem to be taking this virus seriously, start to change their attitude,” one Twitter user wrote.
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