Popular Japanese actor and singer Nakayama Miho has been found dead at her home in Tokyo. She was 54.

Police in the capital reportedly rushed to Nakayama's home in Shibuya Ward after receiving a call from her management agency on Friday afternoon. She was reportedly found dead in the bathroom.

Police are investigating the cause of her death.

A Tokyo native, Nakayama made her acting debut in 1985 at the age of 14. She also launched her singing career and soon enjoyed pop stardom.

She starred in TV dramas and films, including the 1995 movie "Love Letter."

Her hit songs included "Tada Nakitaku Naru no," and "Sekaiju no Dare Yori Kitto," with Japanese rock band Wands.

In 2002, she married, moved to Paris, and took a long break from acting and singing. She made her return to TV and film in 2010.

Nakayama had been scheduled to give a concert in the western city of Osaka on Friday evening. But her official website carried the announcement of its cancellation.

Commenting on her death, a man in his 50s said he often saw Nakayama in dramas when he was in elementary school. He added that he thought she was beautiful, and was shocked beyond belief.

A woman in her 20s also expressed shock at Nakayama's death. She added that she often listened to a cover version of "Sekaiju no Dare Yori Kitto" by a younger actor. The woman said she got the impression from watching Nakayama on TV that she was a kind person, and that she was saddened by her death.