The Japanese music community is in mourning.
Japanese singer and actress Miho Nakayama has died, her team confirmed. She was 54.
“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,” her team wrote in a note on her official website, “but this incident was so sudden that we, too, are shocked and saddened.”
“We are currently investigating the cause of death and other details,” the statement continued. “We ask that media outlets be considerate of the family and relatives and refrain from excessive reporting and interviews.”
The J-pop star—whose fans sometimes called her Miporin—was found in a bathtub in her Tokyo home by an acquaintance Dec. 6 after not showing up to work that day, the BBC reported citing local news outlets. Japanese outlet FNN reported that she had been messaging colleagues at 11 p.m. the night before.
While an exact cause of death has not been determined, local reports indicated that police are investigating the star’s death as a possible accident or relating to illness.
