Actress and singer, Miho Nakayama found dead in bath after leaving chilling Instagram post ahead of her scheduled Christmas concert

Police are investigating the death of Japanese actress and singer Miho Nakayama after she was found unresponsive in the bathtub at her home in Tokyo. 

The 54-year-old, who was widely considered Japan’s most beautiful woman at the height of her career in the 1980s and 1990s, left a troubling post on Instagram just hours before her death. 

The post shows a work by French artist Louise Bourgeois – a piece of material embroidered with the words, “I have been to hell and back. And let me tell you, it was wonderful”. 

Captioning the final post, the actress wrote: “I was so depressed for a few days that I could only talk to the friend I went with.” 

Hours after the post was published, Miho was found sitting up and leaning forward in the bath, with the Metropolitan Police Department stating that there is a possibility that she may have drowned, according to local media. 

The police have also suggested that her death may have been an accident or caused by an illness, according to separate reports. 

Ms Nakayama, affectionately known by her fans as “Miporin,” is best known for starring in the 1995 movie Love Letter, a film which garnered international acclaim and earned her several best actress awards. 

She won over fans as the star of numerous popular TV shows and also as a J-pop singer. 

Loyal fans continued to flock to her shows, and she had been due to perform today, Dec. 6, at a Christmas event in Osaka. The show was cancelled before the announcement of her death was made, with poor health given as the reason. 

When she failed to show up to work, a member of her team went to Ms Nakayama’s home and found her unresponsive. They called paramedics who confirmed her death at the scene, local media reports.  

A statement published by her agency to her website confirmed her death this morning.  

“We are stunned by the sudden occurrence of this event,” it read, adding that her cause of death was not confirmed. 

Fans who were waiting to attend her concert were emotional as the news came out of her death. 

Ms Nakayama leaves behind a son, who she shared with her musician ex-husband Hitonari Tsuji and is in his custody.