is a Japanese comedian and television presenter. In 1991 he directed the film '' Kaze, Slow Down''. On August 23, 2011, Shinsuke Shimada announced his retirement after admitting to extensive ties to the

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...

, Japan's

organized crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally tho ...

. The yakuza's dominance in the entertainment industry was a subject that has long been a taboo."Ties to the Yakuza Are No Laughing Matter"
26 August 2011, Jake Adelstein, ''

The Atlantic Wire ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

References

1956 births Japanese comedians Japanese film directors Japanese television personalities People from Kyoto Living people Japanese male actors {{japan-bio-stub

See also

References