Japanese actress and singer Sayaka Kanda died on Saturday, December 18 at the age of 35. Kanda was best known for voicing Anna in the Japanese-dubbed version of Disney’s Frozen. She was the daughter and only child of actor Masaki Kanda and pop singer Seiko Matsuda.
According to Kyodo News, Kanda was found unconscious “lying in an outdoor space on the 14th floor of the 22-story hotel” she was staying at in northern Japan. She was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. The cause of death was determined to be traumatic shock and police are also suspecting that Kanda committed suicide by jumping from an upper floor of the hotel. Foul play has been ruled out, but an investigation over the incident is still underway.
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“I would like to report to everyone who has supported Sayaka Kanda so far. Kanda Sayaka (35 years old) died suddenly at 9:40 pm on December 18, 2021,” said Kamaichi Mitsuhisa, CEO of Robe Co. “We are very sorry to give such a report to all the fans who supported us and all the people who took care of us. We are still unable to accept her passing and are trying to cope with it. We are currently investigating the detailed situation, but we kindly ask the media to refrain from interviewing relatives or posting articles by speculation.”
“We said goodbye (to her), and only closest family members attended,” Kanda’s father told reporters who gathered outside the crematorium on the day of her funeral.
“The time we spent together is an irreplaceable treasure for me,” said Takako Matsu, who worked opposite Kanda as the voice of Elsa in the Japanese version of Frozen.
Kanda entered the entertainment industry at age 20 when she began her career as a theater actress. In addition to Frozen, Sayaka did numerous voice-over roles over the years, including the TV series Convenience Store Boy Friends and Star Blazers 2202. More recently, she voiced the character Mana Nagase in the 2021 TV series Idoly Pride. Prior to her death, Kanda had been in rehearsals for the musical My Fair Lady on Friday, Dec. 17 but did not show up the following day for her performance. In her latest post on Instagram, Kanda can be seen in costume for the production.
The Japanese entertainment industry has endured a big loss. However, Kanda will forever be remembered for her contributions to acting, singing, as well as performing.
