The Final Customers Came First: Remembering Ryotaro Shimizu’s Extraordinary Gesture at the Theater

The figure captured by “FRIDAY” four months ago

One evening in mid-April, a stage performance at a small theater in Ikebukuro appeared to have come to an end. The entrance was crowded with performers who had come out to greet the audience, as well as theatergoers. Among them was Ryotaro Shimizu (37).

He was wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, perhaps still in his stage clothes. He spent another five or six minutes chatting and smiling with several female audience members. He also posed for photos with audience members who had brought their children. The child appeared to be around the same age as his own daughter. Shimizu spoke gently to the child, put an arm around their shoulder, and took a photo together.

He disappeared backstage once, perhaps to change clothes. Even after returning dressed to leave, he continued to respond warmly and politely to each audience member who remained. The fact that he stayed until the very end to greet everyone left a lasting impression.

Shimizu (37) was found dead at his Tokyo condominium on the night of August 1. A person close to him, concerned after being unable to reach him for several days, visited his home and found him there. Emergency responders arrived, but he had already died. Authorities say there was no indication of foul play.

On August 2, his father, Akira Shimizu (72), released a statement through his agency’s website: “Performing concerts together as father and son and hearing Ryotaro sing was my greatest happiness. He was a very kind and caring child. I always believed that being healthy and well was the greatest way he could repay his parents, so I am devastated beyond words.”

Shimizu made his debut in 2006 in the NHK historical drama “Kōmyō ga Tsuji.” Around the same time, he also began pursuing a career as an impersonation performer in earnest, eventually becoming a popular entertainer. He reportedly earned as much as ¥10 million a month from promotional appearances at his peak. As an actor, he also appeared in popular productions such as the third season of “Gokusen” (Nippon TV, 2008) and the morning drama “Amachan” (NHK, 2013). He married a non-celebrity woman in May 2016, and their first child was born that November. At the time, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

However, his life changed dramatically after he was arrested in October 2017 for violating the Stimulants Control Act. He was dismissed from his father’s agency and received a guilty verdict carrying a sentence of one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years. After leaving the entertainment industry and working for a moving company, among other jobs, he was also arrested and referred to prosecutors in April 2021 on suspicion of assaulting his wife.

Under normal circumstances, a return to the entertainment industry would have seemed almost impossible. But with support from those around him, Shimizu appeared to have been slowly, steadily working his way back.

“It seems he initially started with street performances doing impersonations. By posting those performances on YouTube and social media, he gradually began receiving work. In May 2023, he won through an audition and competed in ‘BreakingDown 8,’ attracting attention. Around 2024, he resumed his entertainment activities, and in September the following year, he held a ‘Father-and-Son Concert’ with his father, Akira. Their well-matched performance was extremely well received.

In 2018, the year after Ryotaro was convicted for stimulant use, Akira said emphatically, ‘I don’t know how many more years I can continue this work, but I don’t think I’ll ever share the same stage with him again.’ His decision to perform with his son likely came after seeing Ryotaro’s determination to make a comeback. There were many requests for another concert, and they held one again on June 5 this year.” (Entertainment writer)

When “FRIDAY” saw Shimizu in April, he too appeared to be approaching his work with sincerity and overflowing with gratitude toward the people who had come to see him perform. It is deeply regrettable that he passed away while still only halfway through his journey toward a full comeback.