Caster Kusayanagi hangs herself

Television caster Fumie Kusayanagi was found hanged on Tuesday morning at her Tokyo apartment. She was 54. Given that she left a note, the incident is presumed to be a suicide.

Kusayanagi lived with her mother on the 46th floor of a 54-story building. Early on Tuesday morning, her mother woke up and was unable to find her daughter, so she called a security guard to help her search. They eventually found Kusayanagi hanging by her neck from their balcony, dressed in her pajamas. She was taken to the hospital, where she was confirmed to be dead.

Kusayanagi had been ill for a while and underwent surgery in May 2007. She appears to have been worried about her health, but it is not clear if that was a reason for her suicide.

The eldest daughter of the late journalist Taizo Kusayanagi, Fumie was a graduate of Aoyama Gakuin and a former Miss Tokyo. She joined NHK in 1975 and became active in television, radio, and print. She was once married to 9-dan shogi player Kazuo Manabe.