Japanese actress and singer Nakayama Miho, famous for the film "Love Letter," marked the first anniversary of her death.
On Dec. 6 last year, multiple foreign outlets including Yahoo Japan reported that Nakayama Miho was found dead at her home in Shibuya, Tokyo. She was 54.
At the time, an agency staff member discovered Nakayama Miho collapsed in the bathtub in the bathroom and reported it, but she was already dead. No suicide note or drugs were found at the scene. According to local media, the deceased was found sitting upright in the bathtub leaning forward.
The deceased had exchanged mobile messages with agency staff until 7 a.m. on the day of her death, and she had shared updates with fans via social media the day before, so the shock was even greater.
Many suspicions arose, but investigators said it was the result of an accidental drowning while bathing.
Nakayama Miho, nicknamed "Miporin," enjoyed global popularity. At the peak of her career in the 1980s and 1990s she was widely regarded as the most beautiful woman in Japan and was a star of numerous popular TV shows and an active J-pop singer.
She received international acclaim for director Iwai Shunji's film "Love Letter" and has many fans in Korea as well. In the past she attended the Busan International Film Festival and expressed gratitude for the continued love of Korean fans, saying "I think the reason I have been loved in Korea for a long time is because of good works" and "I think 'Love Letter' helped me be loved by Korean fans for a long time." She also said in 2017, "It's already been 25 years since 'Love Letter' was released, and I'm still so happy and grateful that people say 'Ogenki desu ka' to me."
Nakayama Miho also appeared in the films "Tokyo Clear Skies," "Saonara Itsuka" and many other works, and in 2018 she co-starred with actor Kim Jae-wook in the film "Nabi Jam."
In April, Kim Jae-wook paid tribute to the late Nakayama Miho on his social media. He recalled the deceased, saying, "The moment I realized I could work with her, the moment we first met in the wardrobe, the moment she looked at my eyes for a long time and smiled, she always communicated honestly without pretense. It was a summer full of unforgettable special memories of the many moments we went through difficult and challenging shoots together."
He added, "I will cherish them. It was an honor to be with you. Rest in peace," expressing his condolences.
Nakayama Miho had a son with her musician ex-husband Tsuji Hitonari.
[Photo] SNS, film stills
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