Miho Nakayama, a celebrated Japanese singer and award-winning actress was found dead in the bathtub of her Tokyo home on Friday, authorities said. She was 54.
Her death was confirmed in a statement posted on her official website, nakayamamiho.com.
“Miho Nakayama was found dead at her home,” the statement reads in part. “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, but this incident was so sudden that we, too, are shocked and saddened.”
Her cause of death has not been confirmed and is currently under investigation, the statement noted.
The former Japanese teen idol, who became one of the most popular J-pop singers in the ‘80s and early ’90s, went on to achieve acclaim as an actor on both television and on the big screen — winning three acting awards for her work in the 1995 romantic drama “Love Letter.”
The announcement of her death came just hours before she was scheduled to perform at a Christmas show in Osaka, some 250 miles west of Tokyo.
Earlier on Friday, a note posted on her website announced the cancellation of the concert, citing the singer’s “poor health.”
Authorities said her body was discovered by an acquaintance who became concerned after Nakayama failed to show up for an appointment, Japan’s leading news agency Kyodo News reported.
She was found in a bathtub filled with water, sources told Kyodo News. Her front door was reportedly locked.
Nakayama had been traveling around the country to perform for the past two years, the Japan Times reported. She was now getting ready to embark on a national tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her singing debut.
She is survived by a son who is in the custody of her ex-husband, according to the BBC.
