Mikio Date of Sandwichman suspends activities due to cerebral infarction

Mikio Date, one half of the comedy duo Sandwichman, has suspended his professional activities due to a cerebral infarction. His management agency, Grape Company, announced the hiatus on August 28.

His comedy partner, Takeshi Tomizawa, provided updates via radio and blog posts, noting that Date is physically active and communicating frequently via email. Tomizawa reported that Date has been walking around the hospital and even requested extra rice with his meals, though he jokingly noted a struggle with having enough side dishes to accompany the additional food.

Due to the suspension, Tomizawa will perform solo in the duo's 13 regular programs for the time being. Other comedians, including Yuji Tanaka of Bakusho Mondai, have commented on the importance of early detection regarding the condition.