Miho Nakayama

Biography

Miho Nakayama (中山 美穂, Nakayama Miho; 1 March 1970 – 6 December 2024) was a Japanese singer and actress. She made her debut in the 1985 drama Maido Osawagase Shimasu, where her performance led to instant stardom. Nakayama released her debut single, "C", shortly after, and finished the year with her film debut in the blockbuster Be-Bop High School. She became one of the most popular idols during its "Golden Age" in the 1980s. Nicknamed Miporin (ミポリン), Nakayama occasionally used the pseudonyms Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂, Kitayama Mizuho) or Issaque (一咲, Issaku) when she wrote song lyrics.
After pivoting towards a dance-oriented sound, she achieved five consecutive number one singles. Her best known songs from this period include "Waku Waku Sasete", "50/50", "Catch Me×CATCH ME7 October 1987 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracksACATCH MEBBAD BOY" and "You're My Only Shinin' Star". In the 1990s, she wrote lyrics and recorded ballads, resulting in several platinum singles and her biggest sales: "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..." (1991), "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto" (1992) with Wands, and "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" (1994).
Nakayama received positive reviews for her lead roles in Love Letter (1995) and Tokyo Weather (1997).

Early life and education

Nakayama was born on 1 March 1970, in Saku, Nagano. After her mother remarried, her family moved to Koganei, Tokyo, where Nakayama attended Koganei Municipal Junior High School.

Singing

After a talent scout discovered her in Harajuku, Nakayama debuted on 21 June 1985 with her single "C", and with her starring role in the film Be-Bop High School. Throughout her career as a singer and actress, she recorded 22 studio albums and scored eight No. 1 singles on Oricon charts, two of which sold over one million copies each. She also starred in a 1987 Famicom Disk System adventure game produced by Nintendo titled Nakayama Miho no Tokimeki High School, in which she played a high school student who tries to conceal her actual identity.
By the 1990s, her artistry began to mature as she penned lyrics and recorded ballads, resulting in several platinum singles and her biggest sales: "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..." (1991), "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto" (1992) with Wands, and "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" (1994). Nicknamed Miporin (ミポリン), Nakayama occasionally used the pseudonyms Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂, Kitayama Mizuho) or Issaque (一咲, Issaku) when she wrote song lyrics.

Acting

In 1995, director Shunji Iwai cast Nakayama in the starring dual roles of Hiroko Watanabe and Itsuki Fujii in the film Love Letter. The film was a huge box-office success, and Nakayama won Best Actress awards for her role in the film at the 38th Blue Ribbon Awards, the 17th Yokohama Film Festival and the 18th Hochi Film Awards.
On 8 November 2021, Nakayama starred alongside King & Prince member Yuta Jinguji in the stage play Aoi no Ue/Yoroboshi (『葵上』『弱法師』; Lady Aoi/Weak Lawyer) at The Globe Tokyo. The play ran until December 5.
From 1985, she was represented by Big Apple Co., Ltd.

Personal life

Nakayama's younger sister is Shinobu Nakayama, also an actress and retired pop singer. She also has a younger brother named Tomoaki.
Two years after her friend Yasuko Endō died by suicide, Nakayama wrote the lyrics and composed the music for the song, "Long Distance to Heaven," that she performed during a 1988 concert tour. A requiem for Endō, the song commemorated Endō's cancelled debut single "In the Distance." It was included in her July 1988 album Mind Game×Mind Game11 July 1988 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Into The Crowd1:072Strange Parade3:243Why Not?3:314Cat Walk3:545Moonlight Sexy Dance4:266In The Morning5:197Mind Game4:388I Know5:299Velvet Hammer3:4010Take It Easy4:3011Long Distance To The Heaven5:2012Husky Town2:26, and mentioned in her 1991 essay collection P.S. I Love You. Without specifying Endō's name, Nakayama wrote about her in her 2009 photo essay collection Nazenara Yasashii Machi ga Atta Kara.
In 2002, Nakayama married musician Hitonari Tsuji after an eight-month relationship. They moved to Paris, where they had a son a year later. In 2014, Nakayama and Tsuji divorced, and Nakayama moved back to Japan, with Tsuji retaining custody of their son.

Death and impact

Nakayama was found dead in her house by her staff in Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo on December 6th 2024 at the age of 54. Her Christmas show in Osaka had been scheduled for that day, but it had been canceled due to her declining health. According to investigators, Nakayama's colleague visited her house after finding out that she did not show up for work that day. Police later announced that they found no signs of foul play after conducting an autopsy, while agency Big Apple said in a statement that Nakayama died due to an accident while she was bathing. The agency added that they are considering the possibility of hosting a public life celebration for Nakayama. On December 12th, Nakayama's remains were cremated at a private funeral attended by her sister Shinobu.
A public memorial was held at the Tokyo International Forum on April 22nd 2025. A special tribute concert to commemorate Nakayama's 40th anniversary was held at NHK Hall on June 18th. The venue was originally planned by Nakayama as the penultimate show of her 2025 tour.