Shinsuke Shimada
Japanese comedian and television presenter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shinsuke Shimada (島田紳助, Shimada Shinsuke) is a Japanese comedian and television presenter. He first became popular as part of a manzai duo formed with his on-stage partner Matsumoto Ryusuke. The duo was active between 1976 and 1985.[1]
March 24, 1956
Shinsuke Shimada | |
|---|---|
| Born | Kimihiko Hasegawa March 24, 1956 |
| Occupations | Comedian, television presenter |
| Years active | 1974-2011 |
In 1991 he directed the film Kaze, Slow Down.
Shimada played an important role for keeping the popularity for contemporary manzai alive - for many years he was the driving force behind the popular manzai competition M-1 Grand Prix.[2]
On August 23, 2011, Shinsuke Shimada announced his retirement after admitting to extensive ties to the yakuza, Japan's organized crime.[3] The yakuza's dominance in the entertainment industry was a subject that has long been a taboo.[1]
