Popular Japanese actor Haruma Miura died on Saturday afternoon after he was found unresponsive in his Tokyo home, Japan Times reported. The 30-year-old actor was brought to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police sources told the outlet. The police have said that they believe the cause of death is suicide since they found in his home what appeared to be a suicide note. However, his cause of death has yet to be officially confirmed.
Miura’s management company, Amuse Inc., released a statement as reported and translated by Kyodo News: “To fans and people concerned, we apologize for the worry and the inconvenience caused, but as to details we are still confirming and will inform you once again.”
Sources with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department told Nippon that Miura was found by his manager, who went to the actor’s condo in Minato Ward after he failed to appear at work. His manager found Miura hanging in a closet, police sources told the outlet.
According to media reports, Miura was in the middle of filming an upcoming drama Okane no Kireme ga Koi no Hajimari (Love Will Begin When Money Ends). Miura’s final Instagram post came three days ago when he revealed that he was working on that show for TBS network, set to be released in September.
Miura Began His Acting Career As a Child Actor, First Appearing on TV at the Age of 7
Miura was born on April 5, 1990, in Ibaraki Prefecture just northeast of Tokyo. As a child, he was enrolled in Tsukba Actor’s studio. While he began appearing in television shows as a young actor, he also formed a boyband named Brash Brats with two other students. When the actor’s studio closed down, he joined Amuse, a major talent agency in the country. The Brash Brats boyband was put on a hiatus when Miura’s acting career took off.
Miura appeared in many television shows and movies, making his debut at the age of seven in the show Aguri. In the late 2000s, he gained popularity after appearing in movies like Koizora in 2007 and Kimi ni Todoke in 2010. Miura also starred in dramas like the third season of Gokusen and he was the leading character in the manga-based drama Bloody Monday.
In 2013, Miura appeared as a supporting actor in the war film The Eternal Zero. He was nominated for an award for best supporting actor for that role by the Japanese Academy in 2015. He was also a singer and appeared in stage productions, most notably the 2016 Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” Japanese adaptation, where he played a drag queen.
Tributes Poured in on Social Media After News of the Actor’s Death Broke Online
Many fans took to social media to mourn the death of the talented actor and share their favorite shows or movies that he appeared in. One person wrote, “I can’t believe it N-no… I don’t want to believe this. Why is this keep happening? We lost another celebrity. You’re still young, my idol. May your soul rest in peace. We love you.”
Another said, “rest in peace, haruma miura. it’s devastating that your life was cut so short at such a young age but thank you for all of the wonderful memories your incredible talent has given the world. shine bright.” One fan wrote, “He’s the main reason why I fell in love with J-Dramas and live-actions. I’ll miss him forever.”
Film director and photographer Jimmy Ming Shum wrote, “RIP Mr. Haruma Miura. It was a pleasure to work with you . We will remember you. Thank you for the memory you gave us.”
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