Miho Nakayama, the popular singer and actress best known for her starring role in Love Letter, has died. According to E! News, She had just pulled out of a planned Christmas show in Osaka, Japan, citing poor health. She was found in her bathtub by concerned parties after she didn’t show up for work. She was 54.
No cause of death has been announced, but E! News reports that her death is being treated as an accident or illness-related. Her representatives released a statement confirming her passing to fans.
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“We are deeply sorry to have to suddenly announce this to all the people involved who have always looked after her and to all the fans who have supported her,” her team wrote. “But this incident was so sudden that we, too, are shocked and saddened.
“We are currently investigating the cause of death and other details,” the statement adds. “We ask that media outlets be considerate of the family and relatives and refrain from excessive reporting and interviews.”
The J-pop icon, also known by her fan nickname Miporin, was a massive J-pop icon in the 1980s, charting with five consecutive number-one hits. She released 22 studio albums and eight chart toppers.
She made her film debut in 1985’s Maido Osawagase Shimasu, but her breakthrough in Love Letter in 1995 and earned several awards in the aftermath. Her final roles came in 2022 with the film Lesson in Murder and an episode of Mahouno Rinobe.
According to the New York Times, Nakayama retreated from the spotlight after moving to Paris and marrying in 2002. She returned in 2010 to the acting world, while returning to music with her first album in 10 years in 2019.
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