Japan’s entertainment industry reels from Yuko Takeuchi’s suicide, exposing its ‘brutal’ nature

The death of the ‘Miss Sherlock’ star was the latest in a string of high-profile suicides by celebrities in the country, after the likes of Hana Kimura and Sei Ashina

An entertainers’ association has called on the government to reform the industry and address mental health issues, but the plea has fallen on deaf ears

Reading Time:4 minutes

Yuko Takeuchi had an overseas following after appearing as the female Japanese Sherlock Holmes in 2018’s Miss Sherlock. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:29pm, 30 Sep 2020Updated: 12:27pm, 9 Oct 2020

After the fourth high-profile suicide in five months in Japan’s acting industry –a world that at least one insider has described as “absolutely brutal” – an association representing entertainers has called on the government to introduce a system of mental health care for the profession.

The Entertainers’ Rights Association released a statement this week titled “Suicide by Entertainers”, claiming that the “highly stressful environment” of the industry is one of several factors behind the alarming number of suicides.

The association’s plea for support came just days after the death of Yuko Takeuchi, who was admitted to a hospital in Tokyo on Sunday, where she was confirmed dead. Authorities are treating the 40-year-old’s death as suicide, although no note or will was found.

In a statement on its website, her agency said her death “came all of a sudden … we are all stunned with shock and sadness”.

Takeuchi first appeared in a television drama in 1996 and quickly picked up roles in various television series and films, winning the Japan Academy Film Prize for best actress in a leading role for three consecutive years from 2003. She also had an overseas following after appearing as a female Sherlock Holmes in 2018’s Miss Sherlock, a collaboration between Hulu and HBO Asia.

A household name in Japan, she gave birth to her second son in January.

Takeuchi’s death comes just a few weeks after actress Sei Ashina died by suicide, while actor Haruma Miura took his own life in July. In May, Hana Kimura, a 22-year-old professional wrestler who was appearing in the hugely popular Netflix series Terrace House, killed herself after coming under withering criticism on social media sites.