Zard Dead at 40

Japanese singer-songwriter Izumi Sakai, better known as Zard, died on Sunday of a brain contusion after falling three meters (10 feet) off the landing of a staircase at the Keio University Hospital. She was undergoing treatment for cervical cancer. Sakai, whose real name was Sachiko Kamachi, was 40 years old. The ex-model wrote and performed theme songs for numerous anime projects, including Slam Dunk, Yawara! Special – Zutto Kimi no Koto ga…, Dragon Ball GT, Chuuka Ichiban!, and Detective Conan.

Source: Asahi