Miho Nakayama (中山 美穂, Nakayama Miho) was a Japanese singer and actress. She was born on 1 March 1970 in Saku, Nagano, Japan. After her mother remarried, her family moved to Koganei, Tokyo.
Nakayama made her debut in the 1985 drama Maido Osawagase Shimasu, where her performance led to instant stardom. Nakayama released her debut single, "C", shortly after, and finished the year with her film debut in the blockbuster Be-Bop High School. She became one of the most popular idols during its "Golden Age" in the 1980s. Nicknamed Miporin (ミポリン), Nakayama occasionally used the pseudonyms Mizuho Kitayama (北山 瑞穂, Kitayama Mizuho) or Issaque (一咲, Issaku) when she wrote song lyrics.
After pivoting towards a dance-oriented sound, she achieved five consecutive number one singles. Her best known songs from this period include "Waku Waku Sasete", "50/50", "Catch Me" and "You're My Only Shinin' Star". In the 1990s, she wrote lyrics and recorded ballads, resulting in several platinum singles and her biggest sales: "Tōi Machi no Doko ka de..." (1991), "Sekaijū no Dare Yori Kitto" (1992) with Wands, and "Tada Nakitaku Naru no" (1994).
Nakayama received positive reviews for her lead roles in Love Letter (1995) and Tokyo Weather (1997). Nakayama was nominated for a Best Actress Japanese Academy Award in 1998 for her role in Tokyo Biyori, and has appeared in numerous TV series including Love Story (2001).
Nakayama was found dead in her house by her staff in Ebisu, Shibuya, Tokyo, on 6 December 2024, at the age of 54. She was scheduled to perform her Christmas show in Osaka on that same day, but the cancellation was announced before the event was scheduled to be held due to her poor health.
