Miho Nakayama, an acclaimed Japanese actress and singer, has been found dead at her home in Tokyo aged 54.
The Love Letter star, whose first rose to fame as a J-pop singer in the ’80s, was discovered in a bathtub by a member of her management company on Friday, according to The Japan Times.
A cause of death has not been revealed, and the circumstances are being investigated.
READ MORE: ‘I didn’t know’: Kate makes rare comment on cancer ordeal
“It is with deepest regret that we have to make this sudden announcement to all those who have been involved with [Nakayama’s career] and to the fans who have supported her,” a statement from her management company, published on Nakayama’s website, read.Japan Times.
“It has happened so suddenly that we are also stunned and saddened by the news.”
On Friday morning, the performer had cancelled a solo Christmas show scheduled to take place in Osaka that day, citing health reasons.
READ MORE: Family tragedy that rocked Morgan Freeman
She had been active on Instagram earlier in the week, with her last post, a photo of an artwork from a Louise Bourgeois exhibit, shared on Thursday.
In a translation of her caption, Nakayama said she had been so “overwhelmed” by the exhibit for a couple of days that she could only talk to the friend she visited it with.
The artwork pictured in her photo read: “I have been to hell and back. And let me tell you, it was wonderful.”
All the celebrities who have died in 2024
Nakayama entered the entertainment industry aged 12, and first became famous as a J-pop singer during the ’80s.
Her first single, C, was released in 1985. Her last studio album – and her first in two decades – was released in 2019.
Nakayama then moved into acting, with roles in several movies and TV shows.
WATCH: Miho Nakayama in the trailer for Love Letter, one of her most famous films.
Her performance in the acclaimed 1995 film Love Letter – released internationally under the title When I Close My Eyes – cemented her as a huge star of the screen.
In 1998, she was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for her performance in Tokyo Biyori.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in celebrity, lifestyle and opinion via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
