“I’ll Definitely Be Back”: The “Content of the Email” Sand and Mikiō Date Sent to Their Juniors—and Their Only “Concern”

Before the news broke, he told fellow comedians

Mikiō Date (52) of “SANDWICHMAN,” who is recovering from a stroke, is making a steady recovery.

Shinichi (41), a junior comedian from the same agency, “Grape Company,” reported on X that he had visited Date, who turned 52 on September 5. He posted a photo of Date beaming from ear to ear while holding a cake and wrote,

“I got to see Mr. Date!”

“I gave him a birthday cake, but he told me not to eat it,”

he wrote happily.

R-1 champion Junichi Davidson (51) also posted a photo of himself with Date on social media.

“This guy was in good spirits, lol!”

he wrote, relieved.

In late August, Date announced he was taking a break due to a stroke. According to his comedy partner, Takeshi Tomizawa (52), when they gathered for work a few days ago, Date said

“I can’t really talk right now,”

When Tomizawa suggested he get checked at a hospital, it was determined that he had suffered a stroke. Due to Date’s hospitalization and treatment, the “SANDWICHMAN Live Tour 2026,” which was scheduled to visit eight cities nationwide from October to December, has been canceled.

A sports newspaper reporter covering the entertainment industry says:

“Although the announcement of his leave of absence was made on the 28th of last month, Mr. Date had apparently sent an email to fellow comedians at the same agency beforehand. It reportedly included his diagnosis and a message saying, ‘I’ll definitely be back.’”

SANDWICHMAN sits at the top of Grape Company’s hierarchy. Below them are Nagano (52), Shinichi, Kaminari, Tokyo Hoteison, and others. Although they sometimes take jabs at each other on TV shows, they’ve come together as one in the face of their “boss’s” absence. The reporter mentioned earlier reveals:

“Since Mr. Date said it wasn’t good to get too sentimental, the comedians who received his email apparently decided to ‘act cheerful and carry on as usual.’ Shinichi, in particular—in contrast to his usual ‘scumbag’ persona—is said to be determined to work like a workhorse in the boss’s place. Though people around him are teasing him, saying, ‘That’s just self-serving, isn’t it?’ (laughs)”

His partner, Tomizawa, is also putting on a brave face. On the September 12 broadcast of Nippon Broadcasting System’s “SANDWICHMAN: The Radio Show Saturday,”

“This is Mikiō Date, now 52 years old. By the way, is everyone doing their rehab? I’m working hard on my rehab every day. Thanks to everyone’s support, I think things are going relatively smoothly. I’m thinking of starting gradually with a game of catch,”

Tomizawa read Date’s message aloud,

“He’s messing around—right from the first line,”

he quipped. He said he’s sticking to “business as usual” to make it easier for Date to return.

Taking walks as part of his rehab

He looks a little thinner in recent photos, but that’s only to be expected since a man who used to be a big eater is currently on a restricted diet. He’s also managing to go for walks as part of his rehabilitation, and his motor functions seem to be fine. If there’s one area of concern, it would be his “speech.”

A source close to Grape Company in the comedy industry revealed the following details to Friday Digital:

“He’s recovering, but it seems some of his speech is still unclear. Strokes can sometimes result in aphasia, which can cause delays in understanding things or an inability to instantly put thoughts into words.

SANDWICHMAN’s comedy routine features Tomizawa as the “boke” (the funny one) and Date as the “tsukkomi” (the straight man). They often speak rapidly and, at times, respond with ad-libs. While there are reports urging him to return quickly, it would be better for him to take his time and focus on his recovery without rushing.”

Tomizawa also spoke about Date on the aforementioned radio program.

“He’s in good spirits—he’s still goofing around. But I think it might take a little longer.”

He is expected to remain on hiatus for the rest of the year.

Date has received an outpouring of support from across the entertainment industry. Akiko Wada (76), Masashi Sada (74), Ikue Sakakibara (67), Koji Yoshikawa (61),Kyoka Suzuki (58), and Sho Aikawa (65) have sent get-well messages, while Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (93) and Mariya Takeuchi (71) reportedly sent handwritten letters.

Date is known as a “beloved figure.” We look forward to his return in due time.