Actress Miho Nakayama found dead in the bath aged 54 on the same day she was due to perform in Christmas show
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Japanese actress Miho Nakayama, best known for her role in the 1995 film Love Letter, has been found dead in her home in Tokyo’s Ebisu district.
She had been due to perform a Christmas show in the city of Osaka on the day she died, Friday December 6, but the show was cancelled beforehand because of her poor health. She was found later found collapsed in her bath.
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Hide AdHer death was first reported by NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster. The cause of death is under investigation. Local media reported that an acquaintance discovered Nakayama in her bath after she failed to show up for work. They called the paramedics, who confirmed her death at the scene.
Nakayama was also one of the biggest popstars in Japan, and she first rose to fame in the 1980s. Her 1992 single “Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto”, made in collaboration with the band Wands, was among her earliest No 1 hits on the Oricon chart.


Love Letter, which is about a grieving widow's letters with a stranger, became a massive box office hit and garnered critical acclaim both domestically and internationally. Nakayama's performance earned her several best actress awards.
A statement on her website, published by her agency, confirmed her death on Friday. "We are stunned by the sudden occurrence of this event," the statement said, adding that her cause of death was not confirmed.
Nakayama leaves behind a son, who is in the custody of her ex-husband, musician Hitonari Tsuji.
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