Award-winning Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi was found dead at her Tokyo home at the age of 40, reports the BBC. An investigation has been launched into the death of the mother of two, who is suspected to have taken her own life.
Yuko is said to have been found by her actor husband Taiki Nakabayashi at their home in Shibuya Ward. Hospital authorities confirmed her demise. Yuko is best known for playing the female Sherlock Holmes in the 2018 HBO series Miss Sherlock that was broadcast in several countries including the United States.
She also won the Best Actress in a Leading Role category three years in a row, between 2004 and 2007, at the Japanese Academy Awards. The Japanese film industry has been plagued by suicides in the recent past - actress Sei Ashina earlier this month, actor Haruma Miura in July and wrestling star Hana Kimura in May.
According to the World Health Organisation, Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world although figures have dropped since preventative measures were introduced in 2015.
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