Miho Nakayama, a Japanese entertainer known for her contributions to the early J-pop scene in the 1980s and a varied acting career, has died.
Big Apple, the agency that represented Nakayama, confirmed the singer’s death on Friday in a statement posted to her website. Nakayama was found dead in her home, according to the statement that had been translated from Japanese to English via Google Translate. She was 54.
Nakayama’s agency mourned the entertainer and expressed shock and sadness. Friday’s notice did not reveal a cause of death, which the label said is under investigation.
Earlier on Friday, Nakayama’s website announced that she would not move forward with a Christmas-themed concert in Osaka set for that evening. The event had been canceled because of the singer’s poor health.
Nakayama, born March 1, 1970 in Tokyo, launched her entertainment career in 1985 already balancing acting and music. Within the same year, Nakayama made her TV debut with roles in several series on Japan’s TBS Television, including the comedy “Maido Osawagase Shimasu;” released her first single “C” and starred in a live-action film adaptation of the manga series “Be-Bop High School.”
Nakayama’s rise to fame came shortly after the emergence of city pop — a genre popularized by artists including Miki Matsubara, Mariya Takeuchi and Anri — and the beginnings of J-pop. Also known for her song “Waku Waku Sasete,” Nakayama released a steady stream of new music — including albums “After School,” “Catch the Nite” and “Mind Game” — in the first decade of her career.
After the turn of the century, Nakayama seemed to slow her music output, turning her attention to acting. She released her most recent album “Neuf Neuf” in 2019 and often performed live until her death.
Beyond music, Nakayama enjoyed a varied acting career that spanned more than 30 years and scores of TV and film credits, including memorable turns in the 1995 romance film “Love Letter.” Directed by Shunji Iwai, “Love Letter” starred Nakayama as both a woman mourning her late fiancé and her unexpected pen pal.
The film, released in the United States as “When I Close My Eyes,” earned Nakayama acting accolades at the Hochi Film Awards and the Blue Ribbon Awards. The film also earned a 1996 nomination for the Japan Academy Film Prize.
Iwai, in a statement shared in English and Japanese on Facebook, said he and Nakayama planned to reunite in the new year to celebrate the 30th anniversary of his film. The filmmaker, hesitant to “give formal words of remembrance,” said he felt frustration and “deep regret” amid news of Nakayama’s death.
“Tonight, though only in spirit, I wish to be by your side,” he added.
Nakayama also earned recognition for her work in Naoto Takenaka’s 1997 film “Tokyo Biyori” about a photographer grieving the loss of his wife. Her acting credits also include the films “Last Letter,” “Butterfly Sleep,” “Goodbye, Someday,” and the series “Love Story” and “Sailor Fuku Hangyaku Doumei,” among others. She most recently appeared in a 2022 episode of “Mahou no Rinobe.”
Nakayama is survived by a son and her ex-husband, writer-composer Hitonari Tsuji, according to the BBC.
