Departures of note

Great Gidayu (born Masayuki Suzuki, 1958) was a Japanese comedian, musician, and actor from Itabashi, Tokyo. After studying music and working as a professional-level drummer, he became a disciple of Beat Takeshi in 1983 and joined the Takeshi-gundan comedy troupe, where he became a fixture of Japanese variety television through the 1980s and 1990s on shows such as "Fuun! Takeshi Castle" and "Takeshi no Genki ga Deru TV!!".

As a musician he contributed to Takeshi's music projects, composing and writing songs including the theme for a popular Acecook commercial, and worked as a guitarist and drummer across various performances. He also appeared as an actor in films such as Takeshi Kitano's "Kikujiro" (1999) and in stage productions directed by Yukio Ninagawa, including a run at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in England.

Diagnosed with diabetes at 36, Gidayu later developed end-stage kidney failure and began regular dialysis in 2007. He publicly chronicled his illness in books and on his blog and social media, raising awareness about dialysis treatment while continuing his entertainment career. He died on September 7, 2026, at age 67.