A Tribute to Miho Nakayama - 中山美穂 - 「C」 (Live)

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.

Nakayama's younger sister is Shinobu Nakayama, also an actress and retired pop singer.[3] She also has a younger brother named Tomoaki.[2]

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, 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.[14]

In 2002, Nakayama married musician Hitonari Tsuji after an eight-month relationship. They moved to Paris, where they had a son a year later.[3] In 2014, Nakayama and Tsuji divorced, and Nakayama moved back to Japan, with Tsuji retaining custody of their son.[1][2]

Nakayama was found dead in her house by her staff in Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo, on 6 December 2024, at the age of 54.[15][16] She was scheduled to perform her Christmas show in Osaka on that same day, but the cancellation was announced before the event was scheduled to be held due to her poor health. According to investigators, a colleague of hers visited her house after finding out that she did not show up for work that day.

Source: Wikipedia

Also featured on video: Minako Honda (本田美奈子)