Japanese comedy icon Ken Shimura dies of coronavirus

Veteran Japanese comedian Ken Shimura has died from complications resulting from coronavirus.

On Sunday, March 29, 2020, the Japanese entertainment industry received the shocking report of the demise of veteran comedian and actor, Ken Shimura.

According to the US Sun, Shimaru, who is the first Japanese celebrity to die of coronavirus, was hospitalized on March 20, 2020 after suffering severe pneumonia.

The 70-year-old comedian , also popularly tagged Japan's Robin Williams was famous for his slapstick comedy skits and parodies and was set to join a movie set in April before testing positive. He was also due to represent his hometown Higashimurayama at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he was to run part of the Olympic torch relay.

As of Sunday, March 29, the Japanese ministry of health confirmed that the country recorded 173 new cases of coronavirus bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 2,578.