Shime became popular by performing boundlessly cheerful and enjoyable Kyogen using his natural attractiveness and he was also designated as a living national treasure (the third time in the Okura-ryu school) same as his father in 1989.
七五三は天性の愛敬さを生かして底抜けに明るく楽しい狂言を演じて人気を博し、1989年に父と同じ人間国宝（大蔵流では三人目）に認定された。