While we were away, Japan lost two of its entertainment icons. On March 20, Ikariya Chosuke, actor and former leader of the legendary comedy troupe The Drifters passed away. He was 72. He was hospitalized with cancer last year but still managed to put in one last performance in the successful movie Bayside Shakedown II. Meanwhile newsreader Kume Hiroshi (59) stepped down from TV Asahi’s popular “News Station” on March 26 after 18 years and 4,795 shows at the helm. At the end of the show, he downed a beer in a final “kampai”. The former comedian stepped down once briefly several years ago but is not expected to make a comeback this time.