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Nakamura Yuri, the Japanese-Korean actor known for Netflix series “Romantics Anonymous,” died on Sept. 1 from rectal cancer. She was 44.
Her agency, Alpha Agency, confirmed the news on Sept. 14.
Born Yuri Sei in Neyagawa,
Osaka, Nakamura came from a mixed heritage: her father was a third-generation Zainichi Korean and her mother held citizenship in both South Korea and Japan.
Her path to acting was indirect. In 1996 she passed the singing audition for the popular talent search program “Asayan,” going on to form the music duo YuriMari with friend Mari Izawa. The pair debuted in 1998 and dissolved in 1999, leaving Nakamura to redirect her ambitions toward the screen.
The pivot proved well-founded. She built up a substantial filmography through the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in festival-circuit titles alongside mainstream fare. Her most celebrated early role came in “Pacchigi! Love & Peace” (2007), the sequel to Izutsu Kazuyuki’s acclaimed breakthrough film, in which she played Kyonja, an aspiring actor navigating life as a Zainichi Korean in Japan. The performance won her the Zenkoku Eiren Award for best actress and the Newcomer Award at the 3rd Osaka Cinema Festival.
Later credits continued to demonstrate range. She appeared in Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “After the Storm” (2016), the disaster drama “Fukushima 50” (2020), and Ishikawa Kei’s science-fiction film “Arc” (2021). The Netflix drama “Beyond Goodbye” (2024) and the streaming series “Romantics Anonymous” (2025) – a Japanese remake of the French film “Les Émotifs Anonymes” produced with a Korean production team – marked her final screen appearances, with Nakamura playing Irene in the latter. In between, she took on stage work, including the production “1945” in October 2008, directed by Robert Allan Ackerman.
Much of that work was carried out against a backdrop of serious illness that Nakamura chose to keep hidden. In a statement released on Sept. 14, Alpha Agency disclosed that she had been diagnosed with cancer 13 years ago. She and the company president agreed at the time: “We should not tell people at work the name of the disease, as it would cause them unnecessary worry.” She went into remission and continued working, with regular medical check-ups throughout.
In January 2025, cancer was found again. Surgery was performed successfully, but metastasis was discovered after the operation. With a full cure no longer achievable, Nakamura shifted her focus to managing the disease and, as the agency put it, aiming “to live a longer, more vibrant life.” Her doctor encouraged her to keep working, and she did. In August 2026, she suffered another bowel obstruction and was told she had only a short time to live. According to Alpha Agency, she faced the news with composure, “maintaining a beautiful and gentle smile throughout her final moments with her family and loved ones.”
The agency noted that while Nakamura’s 30s and 40s were “often marked by battles with illness,” they were equally filled with “wonderful encounters, happiness, and fulfilling moments.”
