Japanese star Mizuki Itagaki found dead at 24, months after going missing

Japanese singer-actor Mizuki Itagaki has died at 24.

His family announced the news in a statement posted on his Instagram Story today (April 17).

"We regret to inform you that actor Mizuki Itagaki has passed away due to an unfortunate incident," it read.

"We would like to express our sincerest gratitude to all the fans who supported him during his lifetime, as well as to all the people who took care of him."

The statement continued that Mizuki had been missing since the end of January "due to a mental illness he had been suffering from since last year", and that his family had recently received a call from the police that his body had been found in Tokyo.

Mizuki's family added: "He was always dedicated to his entertainment career with the desire to bring smiles and joy to everyone, but just as he was beginning to take positive steps towards returning to work, his life came to an end this way, which must have been heartbreaking for him."

They decided to make an announcement as they felt "it would not have been his wish to say goodbye without informing his fans", and hoped they could remember his past works fondly.

Mizuki, who was scouted by talent agency Stardust Promotion at the age of 10, was part of the J-pop boy band M!lk from 2014 to 2020.

He also acted in movies and dramas including Solomon's Perjury (2015), Hana Moyu (2015) and In-house Marriage Honey (2020).

In March 2024, Mizuki left Stardust Promotion and his official fanclub was closed.

drimac@asiaone.com

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