Japanese actor killed by prop samurai sword

A Japanese play rehearsal took a tragic turn Monday, when an actor was stabbed in the stomach with a samurai sword.

33-year old Daigo Kashino was rushed to hospital where he later died.

The actor was in a rehearsal session at a studio in Koto, Tokyo, when he was pierced in the abdomen "with a sword-like object" during an action scene, a police spokesperson told CNN.

The other actors reportedly heard him groan and turned to discover him hunched over — but no one saw exactly what happened.

Police are now investigating whether his death was an accident or a criminal act.

This is the second incident in recent weeks that has resulted in the death of a performer. Earlier this month, Italian actor Raphael Schumacher was declared clinically dead after he was choked in a stage hanging scene that went wrong.

Sword-swinging 'jidaigeki' dramas are an integral part of Japanese culture on stage and in television and film.

Literally translated as "period dramas" they portray the daily lives of samurai, farmers, ninjas, merchants and craftsmen during Japan's Edo period between 1603 and 1868.

Once a national pastime, the genre has now become a bit more niche. One of the biggest studios in the field, Toei, had recently teamed up with Google Japan in an effort to boost the art form's dwindling popularity amongst the younger generation.

Whether the leading character is a samurai or a commoner, the story lines always climax in a swashbuckling sword fight, where the hero comes out victorious.