Retired talento Ai Iijima (real name Matsue Okubo) was found dead in her apartment on Sunday afternoon. Police are still investigating the cause of her death, though some people suspect that it may be a suicide. Iijima was only 36 years old.

A friend of Iijima who works at her management agency became worried after being unable to contact her for several days. The friend visited Iijima's apartment in Shibuya and was let in by the building manager. Iijima was discovered lying face-down, and an ambulance was called for. However, the medical team determined that she had already been dead for a few days. The exact time and cause of death are currently unknown.

Iijima started her career in 1992 as an AV actress, and she quickly became one of the most popular adult stars. The following year, she left the industry and released her first single. At the same time, she began making regular appearances on various television shows.

In 2000, Iijima gained even more recognition with "Platonic Sex," a semi-autobiographical novel that became a best-seller. By the time she announced her retirement from show business in March 2007, she had established herself as the most successful celebrity to transition from the adult industry to mainstream entertainment. Even after retirement, she kept a highly popular blog, which was last updated early this month.