Yuko Takeuchi passed away at the age of 40. The actress was popularly known for her work in movies such as Ring and several television dramas such as Miss Sherlock. The Japanese actress was found dead on Sept. 27 in her house located in Tokyo.

As per The Japan Times, the actress was first found by her husband, Taiki Nakabayashi is also an actor. The 35-year-old actor witnessed that the actress was in the apartment's bedroom and around 2 a.m. he rushed Takeuchi to the hospital.

Nakabayashi said as soon as they reached the hospital, she was announced dead. However, The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department took matters into consideration and began an investigation. The officials claimed that it could be a suicide case.

Takeuchi has garnered many awards for her work in television and movies. The actress debuted into movies in 1998 with Innocent World. Besides her well-known appearance in Ring and Miss Sherlock, the actress also appeared in Midnight Eagle and Closed Diary while both the movies gained a lot of appreciation during the international film festivals.

The actress held Actress in a Leading Role title by winning the Japanese Academy Film Prize for Outstanding Performance back to back three times from 2004. The mother of one has given birth to her child in January while the apparent suicide has shaken the entertainment industry.

While the Police Department of Tokyo Metropolitan has started an investigation, they also believe that the actress has committed suicide but no suicide note has been discovered from the bedroom. Stardust Promotion Inc., the talent agency who took care of the actress' professional work said that the news came out of the blue and they are extremely saddened and stunned.

However, there is an examination going on to find out the details of the occurrence and they are looking forward to knowing what happened that night. Takeuchi was a Saitama Prefecture native who even worked on morning drama series such as Asuka that went aired on NHK back in 1999 for a year.

While the suicide is not confirmed in the actress' case, it seemed to be the cause as many Japanese talents lost their life for the same reason. Earlier this month, another Asian actress named Sei Ashina was also found dead in her Tokyo apartment.

Ashina was a 36-year-old star who worked in The Tail of Happiness on the TBS network. Other popular names from Japan who committed suicide recently include Hana Kimura, a wrestling star, and actor Haruma Miura.