I know this ia bit of a depressing topic, so please bear with me on it, but it seems as though the mother of former Morning Musume member, Maki Goto, decided to take her own life the other night. She happened upon her body after her mother had returned home drunk and had proceeded to the second story before apparently deciding to leap from a window. Upon hearing a loud noise, the singer rushed upstairs to find the window open and her mother lying on the floor below. While no suicide note was recovered from the scene, officials believe that the death was not accidental.

Her mother had been responsible for their upbringing since Maki's father passed away in 1996. Until several years ago, she had owned a bar but reportedly never fully recovered from the loss of her husband. While Gomaki is still having a rather successful solo career, her younger brother is currently serving a five and a half year prison term for robbery and assault. I know she's probably going to be okay, but my heart really goes out to her and the rest of her family. Losing your only living parent is a really tough ordeal.

 [via JapanZone]