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.