Yūko Takeuchi (1 April 1980 – 27 September 2020) was a Japanese actress known for television dramas such as Asuka, Pride, FlashForward and Miss Sherlock, and films including Ring, Yomigaeri and Dog in a Sidecar. She was born in Urawa, Saitama, and was discovered during a spring break in Harajuku after junior high school. Her career spanned more than two decades across Japanese and international productions.
Career and recognition
Takeuchi first gained attention through roles in romantic comedies and dramas, including Mukodono and The Queen of Lunchtime Cuisine. Her performances in Yomigaeri, Be with You and Spring Snow were recognized by the Japanese Academy Awards, and she later won the Best Supporting Actress award for the 2014 film Cape Nostalgia. In 2010 she appeared in two episodes of the American science fiction series FlashForward, where she spoke Japanese and afterwards set herself the goal of mastering English.
Later work and death
In 2018 she played the title character in the Hulu and HBO Asia series Miss Sherlock, an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. On 27 September 2020 she was found hanged at her home in Shibuya, Tokyo, and died shortly afterwards at hospital. No suicide note was found. She was 40 years old.