HOKKAIDO (TR) – Hokkaido Prefectural Police believe the manager of a bar in the town of Hidaka operated the establishment despite knowing that the corpse of a woman had been concealed inside a wall, reports TBS News (Jan. 12).
As previously reported, Toshihiko Matsukura, 49, is suspected of abandoning the woman’s body inside the wall of his bar Lady Luck on or around December 31, 2025.
According to police, the body is likely that of a woman in her 20s who was last seen on the evening of December 31 last year.
The results of an autopsy revealed the cause of death to have been asphyxiation. The woman had been strangled by a rope or something similar.
“Proving my innocence”
The missing woman is an acquaintance of Matsukura. Matsukura was questioned by police after she was reported missing by her grandmother on January 1.
According to Nippon News Network (Jan. 12), a photo shot in front of Lady Luck on January 5 shows several people wearing protective clothing.
During voluntary questioning, Matsukura mentioned that he was “proving my innocence.” However, he admitted to allegations of abandoning a corpse on January 10.
The body had been placed in a recess about the size of one tatami mat at the bottom of the wall, with an opening blocked off with a wooden board.
“Four or five air purifiers”
According to sources, Matsukura opened his bar on January 2. He is believed to have continued operating the bar while the body was inside.
A person who knows a customer who visited on that day said, “I heard that four or five air purifiers were running. [The customer] said [Matsukura] seemed very gloomy and different from usual.”
In addition to seeking to confirm the woman’s identity, police are also investigating the possibility that Matsukura strangled her to death.
