<figure id="attachment_403016" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1132px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403016"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5807ae13"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/2189b7647e04b28702c5dbe6b58402fd.png" alt=""></a>Miho Nakayama (right) walking with Masanobu Katsumura (right) and Atsushi Hashimoto (left of Nakayama) after the performance&#8217;s wrap party (April 19, 2016 issue).</figure>
<h2><b>Became a top idol with Maido Osawagasemasu</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Singer and actress Miho Nakayama passed away on December 6 at the age of 54.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Around noon on the 6th, a representative from her agency who visited Nakayama’s home in Shibuya, Tokyo, called 110 to report that she was found deceased in her bathtub. Her death was confirmed at the scene, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.</span></p>
<p><b>Nakayama entered the entertainment industry in 1982 after being scouted in Harajuku, Tokyo. At the age of 14, in 1985, she gained attention for her role as the rebellious girl Nodoka in the drama &#8220;Maido Osawagasemasu&#8221; (TBS). That same year, she made her acting debut in the drama &#8220;Natsu Taiken Monogatari&#8221; (TBS) and debuted as an idol singer with the single &#8220;C&#8221;, which became the theme song for the drama. She quickly became a top idol, known affectionately as &#8220;Miporin.&#8221;</b></p>
<p><b>In 1995, she swept the Best Actress awards for her role in the film &#8220;Love Letter&#8221;, and in 1997, she won the Japan Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as the wife of photographer Nobuyoshi Araki in &#8220;Tokyo Biyori&#8221;. Nakayama was a rare talent who dominated the idol scene in the late &#8217;80s and continued her success as an actress in the &#8217;90s.</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (Television magazine writer)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2002, she married musician and novelist Hitonari Tsuji (65), after which she paused her entertainment activities in Japan and moved to Paris, France. After their divorce in 2014, Nakayama lived a single life in Tokyo. A report on her happy life was published by FRIDAY in the April 29, 2016 issue.</span></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="She had said that she would &quot;continue acting even after I turn 80.&quot;"></div>
<h2><b>Enjoying time at an izakaya with fellow actors.</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On this day, Nakayama-san was performing in the play </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">Magic</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> at the Honda Theater in Shimokitazawa, Setagaya. After the performance, she and her fellow actors visited an oden shop, </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">S</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;">, known for its casual atmosphere.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;This place is close to the Honda Theater, so it’s often used for after-show gatherings. The highlight is the Shizuoka-style black broth oden, and while enjoying it, you can listen to soul music—it&#8217;s a chaotic atmosphere that’s very Shimokitazawa. Although it&#8217;s a casual spot with dishes priced around 100 yen each, it&#8217;s surprising to see major actors sitting there casually,&#8221; </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">said a theater industry insider.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At midnight, as the shop was closing, the actors emerged and were chatting in the street. Among them were Masato Hagiwara (53) and Masanobu Katsumura (61). After a while, Nakayama-san came down the stairs of the shop, looking in high spirits. Leading the group, she walked confidently as if she were guiding them.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an interview with Weekly Asahi (January 3-10, 2020), Nakayama-san spoke about her ideal image as an actress:</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;When playing a role, beyond technical aspects and passion, I think the most original part of a person is something that naturally comes out. If that&#8217;s the case, growing older and gaining experience are all beneficial to acting. Even an 80-year-old woman, just sitting in a sunbeam, can show something. I want that kind of richness. As I grow older, I want to express my own flavor. (snip) Not just through acting, but in my own life, I hope to become someone like that one day.&#8221; <span style="font-weight: 400;">Having been at the forefront of the entertainment industry since she was 14 in the 1980s, Nakayama-san captivated many fans. We sincerely pray for her soul.</span></b></p>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="A trail of being at the forefront of the entertainment industry since the age of 14."></div>
<figure id="attachment_403017" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2183px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403017"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="04b45b46"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/0547708d6a47ef9f3510bed2c93caf17.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403017" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the &#8220;Golden Arrow Awards&#8221; ceremony, 15-year-old Miho Nakayama (left) and 17-year-old Minako Honda (March 28, 1985 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_403021" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2370px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403021"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="46fbf481"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/97e138cd970b98a76d4288b9783f63b5.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403021" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the end of 1985, Miho Nakayama running around a TV station (January 10-17, 1986 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_403025" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 5684px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403025"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="8e495b88"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/1f583a7c69f38c2a55f9e92019f8072b.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403025" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At a press conference for Mama wa Idol! (TBS) with co-star Kumiko Goto (March 27, 1987 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_403024" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 3004px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403024"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="c6058f42"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/6630c864d604934578ad69b539e8e835.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403024" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the 17th Yokohama International Film Festival, receiving the Best Actress award with her sister, Miho Nakayama (left) and Shinobu Nakayama (February 23, 1996 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Miho Nakayama, who always wore an air of elegance."></div>
<figure id="attachment_403026" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2418px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403026"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="122685f4"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/af0b0f4a4d2c60c3c26e0aa1d0622cd7.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403026" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miho Nakayama attending the opening party of a boutique in Shibuya and Daikanyama (July 11, 2014 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_403027" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1132px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403027"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="cb372ce8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/b5ac61646c2a6551b83fa08f82c29736.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403027" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Miho Nakayama enjoying a date with her musician boyfriend Keichiro Shibuya (May 15, 2015 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<figure id="attachment_403029" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 974px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-403029"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6d2c857b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/12/db29906b985720452fd18bc160522690.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-403029" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shopping at a supermarket in gorgeous casual attire, Miho Nakayama (June 18, 2021 issue).</span></figcaption></figure>


 Ippei Hara (1st, 8th), Rei Obara, Kazunori Tajima, Kenji Ikeda, Naoki Kamidate, Kojiro Yamada,

 On December 6, we learned that Miho Nakayama passed away. She was 54 years old. This magazine had been keeping an eye on Ms. Nakayama since she was 15 years old. We would like to look back on her illustrious career in the entertainment industry through images.

Miho Nakayama: A Journey From 15, Captured by This Magazine, Surrounded by Actor Friends

Access Ranking