Monday, March 30, 2020

Ken Shimura & Naoko Ken -- Ginza Atari de Gin! Gin! Gin!(銀座あたりでギン!ギン!ギン!)


Veteran comedian and tarento Ken Shimura(志村けん)passed away earlier today at the age of 70 due to pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. I had heard that he contracted the coronavirus as the first Japanese celebrity to announce it several days ago, and when I did, I feared the worst due to his age and the fact that whenever I saw him on TV in interviews, he almost always had a cigarette in his hand. And tragically, the worst came to pass.


Shimura has already gotten some attention on "Kayo Kyoku Plus" through his work with the comedy group The Drifters(ザ・ドリフターズ). As a kid, I got to know him through videotapes of The Drifters' long-running Saturday-night variety show "Hachi-ji da yo! Zen'in Shuugo"(8時だヨ!全員集合). He had replaced member Chu Arai(荒井注)and although I don't remember Arai's temperament and comic skills with the group, I'm pretty sure that he didn't quite match Shimura's level of lunacy that probably often had the TBS switchboard lighting up with complaint calls about some of the naughty bits that characterized the segments introduced by him and his group partner Cha Kato(加藤茶), although their famous "Hige Dance" sketch above wasn't one of them.


Shimura's ballerina with swan head probably was, though. I mentioned this before in a past article but I saw him as Japan's Jerry Lewis and maybe even Jim Carrey, years before Jim Carrey was Jim Carrey. As for some of his comedy, one of my students who belonged to that English conversation circle that I had taught for a decade remarked rather tersely that she considered The Drifters to be offensive and never allowed her children to watch "Hachi-ji da yo!" because of him and Kato.


However in recent years after The Drifters had their heyday, Shimura's most famous character was Bakatono-sama(バカ殿様), a hedonistic and moronic feudal lord who simply wanted to have fun for the rest of his days, usually at the expense of his long-suffering court. Not surprisingly, Shimura brought some of his bawdiness to his character and the situations around him.

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Being in variety for decades, Shimura would also do his fair share in music although he was never a recording artist per se. However, from time to time, he did release songs but almost always in collaboration with another celebrity. One such tune was "Ginza Atari de Gin! Gin! Gin!" which I think may translate as "Shine Shine Shine in Ginza".


Released in December 2001 as a maxi-single duet with longtime buddy, singer-actress Naoko Ken(研ナオコ)who often showed up with him in various skits, "Ginza Atari de Gin! Gin! Gin!" is a crazy Mood Kayo with some Boney M. disco about a corporate newbie played by Shimura and supervisor Ken possibly falling for each other. Written and composed by Hello Project head honcho Tsunku(つんく♂), even the footage above is styled like a Morning Musume music video. Officially, the duo name was Ken♀♂ Ken(けん♀♂けん.

Going over the announcements on the various Japanese TV channels about his passing, there have been stunned and very grief-stricken reactions among the other tarento. I can't even imagine how this is striking folks in Japan right now since I believe that they are only starting to enter the beginnings of their own rising COVID-19 wave.


At the time of his death, Shimura was hosting two regular programs. One was a late-night program and the other was the Saturday-night NTV series "Tensai! Shimura Dobutsu-en"(天才!志村どうぶつ園...Genius! Shimura's Zoo), a variety show based on animals. According to a sports journalism website, part of the program scheduled for Saturday April 4th will be adjusted although it's not currently known what will become of the show going forward.

My condolences go out to his family and his many fans. I will finish this article with one of his many favourite catchphrases: "AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

4 comments:

  1. Hello, J-Canuck.

    I hope everything is more or less under control in Canada. I'm actually back in Singapore at the moment; the situation in Tokyo was getting hairier by the day so I decided it was best to head back for the time being.

    Seeing the news that Shimura passed was shocking to say the least. It just felt really sudden, especially since I thought I had read that he had caught the bug. Ah, he was great in "Zen'in Shuugo", and, of course, that swan tutu... May he rest in peace. But I believe that this'll really make folks stay home as advised, because just last week when I was still in Saitama/Tokyo, parks were crowded with people doing their Hanami. Quite an ironic sight, really, especially when coupled with shelves devoid of toilet paper and anti-bacterial whatever.

    I really hope the situation will get better, and please take care!

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    1. Hi, Noelle.

      Things are stable if not happy here. As of today, anyone over 70 (namely my parents) has been urged not to step outside. The supermarket situation with panic buying has largely subsided thankfully.

      Your return to Singapore reminds me of when I made a quick return here following the 2011 earthquake. The nuclear situation in Fukushima had my family pleading with me to head home for a month.

      Shimura's death was a shocker since he was known to everyone who watches TV, and I think that has probably sent home a real message about the crisis, although people should have already been nervous. I was watching NHK today and it looks like Ginza has gotten the message. Barely anyone there tonight.

      Hope everything is safe in Singapore and I'm glad that you're with your family.

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    2. Hi, J-Canuck.

      I'm glad you and your family are doing OK. Considering the chaos happening in the US, Canada seems to be in more control.

      Over in Singapore, as you may have heard from the news, as of a few days ago, there will be penalties should one flout social-distancing laws. Tough stance, but I suppose it can't be helped. Also, I'm serving a mandatory 2 week stay-home notice since the day I got back... It's Day 8 and I hope cabin fever doesn't set in in the remaining 6 days. Nevertheless, I do feel more at ease here.

      Yeah, I saw snippets of the Shibuya Scramble on NHK as well; never has it been more desolate than now. And I heard that tourist spots like Asakusa are suffering from the lack of visitors. Boy, this outbreak's hitting hard.

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    3. Morning, Noelle.

      It's been reported here that the virus protocols may stay in place up to July although it wasn't made specific as to which particular parts or if it's all of them. However, I don't think that things as they are now will be sustainable up the summer. Even with government support, there would have to be some small lifting of the conditions before June, although on an ominous note, city-led events during that month have now been cancelled.

      There have been COVID rebels here in Toronto so the city and province have instituted harsh financial penalties and even jail time for those who break social distancing or visit park facilities. I'm trying to keep any grocery shopping down to once or twice a week.

      It's good for you to be back among family. The infection rates in Tokyo have been spiking over the past 24 hours. Wherever anyone is, the economic climate will be looking grim this year.

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