Mother of Singer Utada Hikaru Found Dead

Meilin Lee · Aug 22, 2013

Keiko Fuji, famed 1970s enka singer and mother of pop-artist Hikaru Utada, died on Thursday morning after falling from her apartment building in Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo. She was immediately brought to a nearby hospital but no intervention was able to save Fuji. The police suspects suicide as the cause of her death.

It was around 7AM when the body of Fuji was found on the street where she lived. She was living with a male friend, who claimed to be sleeping at the time of incident. Only a pair of slippers was left on the railing of her apartment’s balcony. As no suicide note was left, the police haven’t ruled out the possibility of foul play and are still making investigations.

The 62-year old Keiko Fuji, whose real name was Junko Utada, was a famous enka singer and actress in the 1970s. She made her singing debut in 1969 and had her debut album titled Shinjuku no Onna (“Woman in Shinjuku”) a year later. The album spent 20 weeks at the Oricon chart. Fuji, a native of Iwate Prefecture, ended her singing career in 1979 and went to the United States, where she lived for a time. She gave birth to her only child, Hikaru, in 1983 in New York.
Click to expand...

Source

As a fan of KH and Utada's music in the series, this is very shocking to me. My condolences to Utada.

Iskandar · Aug 22, 2013

Man, that's depressing to hear. There have been a lot of deaths these days, and it's certainly not putting up the mood for this world. And it might just be me, but for some reason something tells me it wasn't suicide. It's just a gut feeling I have.
Of course, the one this is going to hit hardest is Utada Hikaru. I hope she takes some time off.

Glen · Aug 22, 2013

Wow, my sympathies for Utada. As much as I wish I could say "just get on with it and work on KH3's music!" or something I feel like it'd be better if she took a break from things for a bit, everyone should be given time to grieve over lost loved ones. First celebrity parents' death i've heard about that I can remember that i've really felt this bad for them (though i don't hear about a lot)

Technic☆Kitty · Aug 22, 2013

That's just horrible. Poor Utada. My condolences for her loss. If it was foul play, hopefully they can catch whoever was behind it.

It's never easy losing a loved one. My heart goes out to her.

Railos · Aug 23, 2013

Condolences for Utada, and her family. It really sad to lose someone especially if it could be avoided. I hope they find out how it exactly happened soon.

Fellangel · Aug 23, 2013

Oh my...

Utada earned a place in my heart for her amazing songs. My heart goes out to her and her family.

Shiki · Aug 23, 2013

Oh no, that's horrible. I hope she has a safe journey to the afterlife and enjoys herself.

Menos Grande · Aug 24, 2013

Vivid Green said: ↑

Man, that's depressing to hear. There have been a lot of deaths these days, and it's certainly not putting up the mood for this world. And it might just be me, but for some reason something tells me it wasn't suicide. It's just a gut feeling I have.
Of course, the one this is going to hit hardest is Utada Hikaru. I hope she takes some time off.
Click to expand...

Not sure.. she was japonese they are very found of suicide (don't know why).
While it is strange that she didn't leave a note, we could think that seeing her daughter making more success then she did as a singer made her jealous? Anyway this is something for the cops to find out! My sympathies for Utada!

Miles · Aug 24, 2013

Dr_Wigglz said: ↑

Wow, my sympathies for Utada. As much as I wish I could say "just get on with it and work on KH3's music!" or something I feel like it'd be better if she took a break from things for a bit, everyone should be given time to grieve over lost loved ones. First celebrity parents' death i've heard about that I can remember that i've really felt this bad for them (though i don't hear about a lot)
Click to expand...

Maybe it could inspire her to write somthing. Anyway that is such a shame. I heard the Japanese take their shoes off before commiting suicide. I wonder what led her.
Actual if you see my sig you will see a girl holding her shoes to the right. She was showing at the beginning of the clip on n edge of a building.

Labrys · Aug 24, 2013

Whoa that was very unexpected. My condolences goes for Utada. Although the case of her committing suicide is rather suspicious, it seems like someone is still trying to screw her over even till the end, if that's the case then I hope that person would face severe punishment. But if it truly was suicide, then I'm truly sorry for utada's loss either way. Still I wonder why she'd go down that path?

Shiki · Aug 26, 2013

I did some research and there is symbolism for her mother leaving her shoes behind. In Japan, those who commit suicide typically leave their shoes behind. Typically, Japanese people take off their shoes when entering another home or establishment. The reasoning for the shoes being left is possibly due to them associating their descent into a new dimension. It can also mean they are leaving a mark so as their loved ones can know what happened.

Anixe · Aug 26, 2013

Here is a translated message from Hikki herself:

“On the morning of August 22nd, my mother decided to take her own life.

As there seem to be many theories floating about, please allow me this opportunity to speak a bit here.
For a very long time, my mother had been tormented by mental illness.

Due to her condition, she was unwilling to accept treatment out of her own free will, and as a family we were constantly questioning what to do, or what would be the best for her.

From a very young age, I have watched her illness progress. As her condition continued to deteriorate, she lost trust in her family and those around her, and she was no longer able to make a distinction between reality and fiction, losing control of both her emotions and actions. I was at the mercy of this disease, and was unable to do anything.

I am torn between the hope that my mother has finally been freed of this longstanding pain, and the contemplation of regret that comes from the unwavering sadness of her final action.

While she was someone that could be easily misunderstood… She was timid but unquestionably strong, she was filled with a sense of justice, she loved to laugh, she was a quick thinker, she could be impulsive like a child, and she was a complete scatterbrain. But above all else, she was the cutest person in the world. While there are countless sad memories, when I think of my mother, my heart sees her smiling.

I am so proud to be my mother’s daughter. I am filled with such gratitude to have met her.

I have received such warm words from countless people, and am once again reminded that I am supported by so many. Thank you all so much.

August 25, 2013
Utada Hikaru”
Click to expand...

Source -

UPDATE: Here's another message from Utada Teruzane, former husband:

”An update, and words of thanks

With regards to the late Utada Junko’s suicide, I would like to sincerely apologise, both as representative of the agency to which she belonged to and as her former husband of 25 years, for all the trouble and inconvenience this incident has brought about to all those concerned in the various industries, to the fans of Fuji Keiko, and to the fans of Utada Hikaru. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude and thanks for all the kind words and well-wishes sent to both Utada Hikaru and myself.

As per the wishes of the deceased as expressed in her will, both an all-night vigil and a funeral were not carried out. (Translator’s notes: Seems like there will only be a cremation.)

Ever since I met her, I recognised that there was some degree of emotional instability within her, but instead of seeing it as a mental illness, I simply came to terms with it by viewing her as a uniquely “whimsical” person, and perceived it as something I could deal with adequately enough.

It was when Utada Hikaru was around 5 that these emotional changes started becoming more noticeable. She would launch aggressive words and actions towards my mother, the late Takeyama Sumiko, and even Hikaru and myself soon became the targets of her attacks. However, her emotional changes were frequent, and days where she’d go, “Sorry, I’ve caused trouble again”, and reflect on her actions a few minutes after her outbursts continued on for a long period of time. When her suffering became more frequent, she was advised on numerous occasions after being examined at hospitals to undergo appropriate treatments, but this advice instead caused her to develop feelings of mistrust towards me. In the end, I believe that her suffering became a lot graver as the years went by and she continuously refused treatment.

In these twelve years, she lived life as she pleased, going on vacations and trips when they came to her. She got an American visa that allowed her to stay in the country for a maximum of five years upon entry, and made New York her base, frequently travelling to the European countries, various parts of America, and Australia as and when she felt like it.

While living such a lifestyle, she would call Hikaru and myself regardless of the time of day and without any prior notification; while there were times where she’d ask “How’re you doing?” and the conversation would continue on normally, there were also times where she’d yell at us for no apparent reason, and we were very worried about her, her mental condition speaking to us very plainly through her words.

The last time I spoke with Junko was on the 14th August this year. It was her who called me. This time, it was one of the few occasions where Junko’s voice had a cheerful tone and she sounded energetic. It lasted eight minutes, including some small talk, and accepting a few requests from her, I hung up the phone. And eight days later, she committed suicide.

It is impossible to know whether Junko made an active decision to take the leap, or whether it was an act of impulse. All I can say is that I am filled to the brim with regret for having been unable to help her in her situation, and with sadness for having lost someone dear to me.

I would like to thank everyone who has watched over Utada Junko and Fuji Keiko with all their love on behalf of her. Thank you all very much.

The time I spent with Junko is firmly engraved into my memory, and will never fade away.

26th August, 2013

Utada Teruzane”
Click to expand...

Source 2

Log in or Sign up

Mother of Singer Utada Hikaru Found Dead

Meilin Lee RPG (Red Panda Girl)

Reporter

Iskandar King of Conquerors

Premium

Glen Returned from the dead

Premium

Technic☆Kitty Hmm

Premium

Railos Hollow Bastion Committee

Fellangel Bichael May

Premium

Shiki my waifu is better than yours, thanks

Contributor

Menos Grande Kingdom Keeper

Miles Cull a Duty 2 : Electric Boogaloo

Premium

Labrys King's Apprentice

Shiki my waifu is better than yours, thanks

Contributor

Anixe Hollow Bastion Committee