He Thought He’d Escaped Rock Bottom—But Ryotaro Shimizu Had Already Shown Signs of an SOS

The loneliness of being unable to see his child

It has been revealed that Ryotaro Shimizu, a television personality and the third son of impersonator Akira Shimizu (72), was found dead at his apartment in Tokyo. He was 37.

Based on the circumstances at the scene, authorities believe suicide is a strong possibility. The exact date and time of his death remain unknown.

According to people involved, on August 1, Shimizu’s manager, who had been unable to contact him, went to his home and found him collapsed. The manager called emergency services, and Shimizu was later confirmed dead. No suicide note was found.

Shimizu made his acting debut in the 2006 NHK historical drama “Komyo ga Tsuji.” In 2011, following in the footsteps of his father, Akira Shimizu, he also entered the world of celebrity impersonation.

However, his life was later marked by a series of troubles. In February 2017, it was revealed that he had frequented an illegal underground casino, leading him to suspend his entertainment activities for nine months. Then, in October of the same year, he was arrested on suspicion of violating Japan’s Stimulants Control Act through drug use and was ultimately given a sentence of one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years.

“At the time, Akira spoke to reporters outside his home and broke down in tears, saying, ‘There’s nothing else I can call him but a damn fool.’ His decision not to pay his son’s bail money in order to make him reflect on what he had done has since become a well-known story,” says an entertainment reporter for a sports newspaper.

Ryotaro married a woman outside the entertainment industry in 2016, and they had one child. However, he was arrested in 2021 on suspicion of assaulting his wife, after which the couple lived separately.

According to a person connected to the entertainment industry, “He had been carrying the pain and loneliness of being unable to see his child.”

Following his son’s death, Akira released a statement through his agency.

“We were fortunate to perform concerts together as father and son, and nothing made me happier than hearing Ryotaro sing. He was a thoughtful and incredibly kind child. I always believed that simply being healthy was the greatest form of filial devotion, and I am heartbroken beyond words.”

The statement conveyed the depth of his grief. The two had appeared together in a father-and-son concert as recently as June. They had been seen exchanging smiles and playful banter onstage, making the sudden news of Ryotaro’s death all the more shocking.

“The father and son had repaired a relationship that had once been estranged, and they had even begun appearing together in front of the media again. At the very least, compared with the absolute rock bottom he was at four or five years ago, Ryotaro’s life appeared to have been turning around.”

So says a person who knew Ryotaro, speaking to this publication.

Youtube and street performances

Four or five years ago was around the time Ryotaro had just been arrested on suspicion of assaulting his wife. According to the same person who knew him:

“At the time, he was in a state of despair and was completely beyond anyone’s control. There were times when he hinted at wanting to die.”

Ryotaro himself spoke about this period in an episode of the YouTube channel “Machiroku Ch: Tell Us About Your Life,” released in June 2023.

At the time, he had been working for a cockroach extermination company but eventually quit. Overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness, Ryotaro said he reached a point where:

“I thought, ‘I can’t go on like this anymore.’ I was thinking of going to Misakiguchi on the Keikyu Line.”

He said he was about to act on those thoughts.

However, he got off the train at Kawasaki Station instead. There, he saw two men performing music on the street. Carried along by the moment, he went alone to a karaoke box, ordered a large amount of alcohol, and sang to his heart’s content.

After enjoying himself at karaoke, Ryotaro sent a photo and a message from inside the establishment to an acquaintance saying, “I’m okay.” At the time, he had reportedly sent ominous messages to friends and acquaintances saying, “Thank you for everything.”

His father, Akira, obtained one of those messages from an acquaintance and managed to determine which karaoke establishment Ryotaro was at. He then reportedly waited outside for his son to come out.

Looking back on the incident during the program, Ryotaro recalled:

“My dad showed up with his hair all messy, wearing pajamas and sandals, saying, ‘Man, I made it in time.’ Once I got into the car that came to pick me up, I finally felt relieved and just broke down crying.”

Ryotaro said that afterward, his father continued encouraging him in the car. According to the person who knew him:

“Akira must have sensed how vulnerable his son was, which is why he rushed to the karaoke place still wearing his pajamas. After that, with Akira’s support, Ryotaro launched a YouTube channel and began performing live on the street. In May 2023, he also appeared in the popular combat sports event ‘Breaking Down.’ His father-and-son concerts with Akira were well received, and everyone thought he had finally climbed out of rock bottom.”

According to an acquaintance, when Ryotaro became emotionally unstable, he had a tendency to cut off all contact with the outside world. During the crisis four or five years ago, he reportedly ignored every call from friends and family. And this time, it appears to have happened again.

At the end of his appearance on “Machiroku Ch,” Ryotaro declared:

“I want to get back into the media through my own efforts, become successful once again, and share with people the wonderful world of impersonation—the thing I truly love.”

But that dream would never be realized.