Miho Nakayama, the star of the beloved film ‘Love Letter,’ has suddenly passed away. There is a wave of mourning not only in Japan but also in South Korea.
On the 6th, Japanese media outlets such as NHK and Nippon Television reported that “Miho Nakayama was found dead at her home in Shibuya, Tokyo.” She was 54 years old. On that day, Nakayama was scheduled to hold a Christmas concert in Osaka. She was supposed to leave for Osaka in the morning, but when she did not appear at the venue, a representative from her agency went to her home around noon and found her collapsed in the bathroom. The representative reported to the police, and the police confirmed Nakayama's death at the scene. The exact cause of death is under investigation.
Miho Nakayama debuted in 1985 with the drama ‘Every Time It’s Noisy.’ She later debuted as a singer and received great love, winning the Best New Artist Award at the Japan Record Awards. In particular, her songs ‘Surely More Than Anyone in the World (世界中の誰よりきっと)’ and ‘I Just Want to Cry (ただ泣きたくなるの),’ which were million hits in 1992 and 1994, are still loved in Japan.
In South Korea, she gained immense popularity for her role as Fujii Itsuki in Shunji Iwai's film ‘Love Letter’ (1999). The scene where she shouts into the air on the snowy fields of Hokkaido, “O genki desu ka, watashi wa genki desu (お元気ですか?, 私は元気です·How are you? I’m doing well)” is often cited as a memorable moment.
Miho Nakayama married author Hitonari Tsuji, known for ‘Between Coolness and Passion’ and ‘Things That Come After Love,’ in June 2002. After marriage, she lived in Paris and gave birth to a son in 2004, but they divorced in 2014.
The news of Nakayama's sudden death, despite her being healthy enough to hold concerts, has shocked the local Japanese community. Netizens reacted with comments like, “She posted a photo on social media just a few days ago, I can’t believe this,” “Another star known by everyone, young and old, has passed away,” “Is this real? I still can’t believe it,” “I screamed in shock,” “When I saw the breaking news, I thought, ‘Is it really Nakayama Miho?’ I hoped it was someone else,” “Forever our eternal idol. Rest in peace,” “It’s hard to let go,” “It’s too soon,” “I thought it was fake news. I don’t want to believe it. It feels like a lie.”
As she was also greatly loved in South Korea, domestic fans are posting tributes such as, “I loved her so much, this is shocking,” “I will remember her lovely appearance,” “The eternal heroine of the movie ‘Love Letter’ engraved in my childhood memories, may she rest in peace,” “She was a page of my youth,” “I mourn her passing,” etc.
[Kim So-yeon, Star Today Reporter]
