Calmly Sold Food While Hiding Body in Restaurant Wall... Shock Over Owner's Gruesome Acts

Autopsy Reveals Woman Died from Asphyxiation Due to Neck Compression
Shocking Incident Stirs Local Community
Police Expand Investigation, Considering Possible Murder Charge

A shocking incident has come to light in Hidaka, Hokkaido, Japan, where a man in his 40s who operated a restaurant continued to run his business while hiding a woman's body inside the restaurant wall. On January 12, regional outlet HBC and major Japanese media reported that Hokkaido police arrested Matsukura Toshihiko, 49, who ran a restaurant in Hidaka, on charges of abandoning a corpse. Matsukura is accused of concealing the body of a woman in her 20s, reportedly an acquaintance, inside the wall of his establishment.

Near the restaurant operated by the suspect whose body was found. HBC

According to Hokkaido police, Matsukura stated that he continued to operate the restaurant with the body hidden since January 2. When discovered, the body was found collapsed in a very narrow space inside the wall, just large enough for one adult to lie down, making it extremely difficult to detect from outside.

The police began investigating Matsukura while tracking the whereabouts of a woman in her 20s who had been reported missing. Based on his statements, they searched inside the restaurant wall and found the body. Matsukura reportedly admitted to hiding the body during police questioning.

An autopsy revealed that the woman had died of asphyxiation due to neck compression. As a result, police are not limiting their investigation to charges of abandoning a corpse, but are also considering murder charges, focusing on the circumstances of her death and the motive for the crime. Authorities are currently working to confirm the victim's exact identity, the time of death, and the nature of the relationship between the two individuals.

The incident has left local residents deeply shocked and anxious. Concerns over hygiene and safety are spreading, especially given that the restaurant continued to operate as usual while the body remained hidden in a place frequented by the general public. Hokkaido police are continuing to detain Matsukura for further investigation and are expanding their inquiry to consider the possibility of additional crimes and whether any accomplices were involved.