Posted by Hiroaki Hidaka (1962-2006) was a Hiroshima taxi driver who between April and September 1996 killed and robbed four women, including a 16-year-old girl. Arrested on 21 September 1996, he was sentenced to death in 2000 and hanged on Christmas Day 2006.
Hiroaki Hidaka is one of the lesser-known Japanese killers. He was a serial killer guilty of murdering and robbing four women between April and September 1996.
Hiroaki Hidaka
Hidaka was born on 17 April 1962 in Miyazaki Prefecture. He was a model student, but failed to get into the university he had chosen, Tsukuba. He enrolled instead at Fukuoka University, which he dropped out of, turning instead to drinking, visiting prostitutes and living on borrowed money.
In 1989 he moved to Hiroshima and began working as a taxi driver. In 1991 he married and in 1993 he had a daughter. Shortly afterwards, however, his wife was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. We do not know whether this was what triggered something in his mind.
In April 1996 he began to kill. His first victim was a girl of only 16. After getting her into his taxi he strangled her, stole 50,000 yen (about 400 euros) and buried her in a secluded spot.
In the following months he killed and robbed three more women, until he was arrested on 21 September 1996.
The sentence
On 9 February 2000 the Hiroshima District Court sentenced him to death. Hidaka did not appeal. He was executed by hanging on Christmas Day 2006.
After the execution his lawyer, Shuichi Adachi, protested that prison authorities had illegally prevented him from meeting his client.
🦋 Emadion lives through its readers. If this story kept you up at night, buy me a coffee: it helps me bring you the next nightmare.
☕ Support Emadion on Ko-fi
