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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 hospitalized, 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.
The government's top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary
Yoshihide Suga, echoed that.
"I pray for the repose of his soul but want to say on top of
this that we are at a very critical period and need to make
every effort to prevent the spread of this disease," he told a
regular news conference.
Japan on Sunday confirmed 68 new cases in Tokyo alone, a record
daily increase for the capital, taking the country's overall
tally to more than 1,800 infections, with 55 deaths as of Sunday
afternoon, excluding 712 cases and 10 deaths from a cruise ship
that was moored near Tokyo last month, NHK said.
(This story corrects reference to number of cases in final
paragraph to clarify they are just in Tokyo)
(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim and Elaine Lies; Editing by Chris
Gallagher, Robert Birsel)
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