Award-winning Japanese actress Yuko Takeuchi has been found dead at her Tokyo home at the age of 40.

 

She was reportedly found by her actor husband Taiki Nakabayashi at their home in Shibuya Ward. Her death was confirmed at hospital.

 

Police launched an investigation, suspecting that the actress took her own life, Japanese media reported.

 

Ms Takeuchi was popular in Japan, known for the 1998 horror film Ringu which was adapted by Hollywood as The Ring.

 

In a statement, her talent agency Stardust Promotion said it was "stunned and saddened by the news".

 

The actress also played a female Sherlock Holmes in the 2018 HBO series Miss Sherlock, which was broadcast in several countries including the US.

 

For three years in a row, between 2004 and 2007, Ms Takeuchi won best actress in a leading role at the Japanese Academy Awards.

 

Along with her long list of acting credits, Ms Takeuchi's warm, smiling, woman-of-the-people image made her popular with advertisers, Variety Magazine reports.

 

Although suicide has not been confirmed in Ms Takeuchi's case, it has been the cause of death for a number of Japanese talents recently, including the actress Sei Ashina earlier this month, actor Haruma Miura in July and wrestling star Hana Kimura in May.

 

Japan has long battled one of the highest suicide rates in the industrialised world although figures have dropped since preventative measures were introduced more than a decade ago.