According to local media outlets such as Nikkan Sports on December 6, actress Miho Nakayama was found deceased at her residence. It is said that a representative from her agency, unable to reach her, visited her home and discovered her collapsed in the bathtub of her bathroom.
There were no suicide note nor drugs found at the scene, and the police are currently investigating the circumstances of her death.
A notice on Miho Nakayama’s official website announced the cancellation of a performance that was scheduled to take place in Osaka that day. The statement read, “We deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to fans who were waiting. All ticket reservations will be canceled.”
A multi-talented actress and singer, Nakayama gained immense popularity in Korea for her role in Shunji Iwai’s 1995 film “Love Letter”. When it was released in Korea in 1999, the movie attracted 1.4 million viewers and was re-released multiple times over the years.
The film is a classic romantic drama where Hiroko (played by Nakayama), mourning the loss of her first love Itsuki in an accident, sends a letter expressing her longing. She unexpectedly receives a reply from another Itsuki, rekindling memories of her first love.
Nakayama’s iconic scene, where she desperately cries out, “Ogenkidesuka, watashi wa genkidesu,”(roughly translated to “How are you? Yes, I’m fine”) against the snowy expanse of Hokkaido, is remembered as a masterpiece and has even been parodied in Korean comedy.
Beyond “Love Letter”, Nakayama also starred in films such as “Sayonara Someday”, “I Have to Buy New Shoes”, and “Butterfly Sleep”, as well as dramas including “Love Story”, “Platonic”, and “Be-Bop High School”.
She was married to renowned author Hitonari Tsuji, but the couple divorced in 2014 after 12 years of marriage.
