Veteran actress Reiko Ohara was found dead on Thursday night in her home in Setagaya, Tokyo. She was 62. It is estimated that she passed away about two weeks ago due to natural causes.

On August 3, Ohara's younger brother called police, saying that he had been unable to contact Reiko for two weeks. An officer visited her home the same day to assess the situation, but could not enter without a key. Three days later, at about 7:10pm on Thursday night, the brother and several police officers managed to use a spare key to enter the home, where they found Ohara lying face-up in a second-story bedroom.

Police found no external wounds on Ohara's undisturbed body. There were no signs of forced entry into her home or garage, nor any indications of stolen items. Police say there is very little possibility of foul play or suicide, though an autopsy may be carried out if the brother requests one. Based on the condition of Ohara's body, it is believed that she had been dead for about two weeks.

Ohara had acted in dozens of films and dramas since the 1960s, though one of her best known roles was in a long-running series of commercials for Suntory Red whisky that included the memorable line, "Sukoshi aishite, nagaku aishite." However, Ohara led a difficult personal life, earning her the image of a very strong woman.

The actress went through two marriages, the first to actor Tsunehiko Watase (1973-1978) and the second to enka singer Shinichi Mori (1980-1984). Since 1999, she has been battling Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system that typically causes muscle paralysis. The illness forced her to significantly cut back on her career over the last ten years.

Last November, the disorder caused her to collapse in her own garage, resulting in a fractured wrist and an injured knee. After the incident, Ohara revealed more details about her health in an interview with the Sankei Sports newspaper. She said she received surgery for breast cancer in 1991 and 1993, and she also faced depression for a while after the death of the physician that had been helping her with the Guillain-Barre syndrome.

At the time of the interview, Ohara was living with and taking care of her elderly mother. But the mother was later placed into a care facility, and Ohara remained at the house alone.