Hana Kimura: grief as Japanese wrestler and reality show member dies aged 22
Hana Kimura, a female professional wrestler who was among the cast of the popular Japanese reality series Terrace House, has died at 22, her wrestling organisation said, after she reportedly faced online bullying.
Kimura was reportedly found dead at her home, with the cause not immediately known. She had recently posted messages on social media seeming to tell her fans goodbye, and her death sparked a public outpouring of anger at cyber-bullying.
Fans flocked to Twitter after news reports of her death. “I’m sorry Hana that this world was cruel to you and that you could not find your peace,” one user wrote.
Yukio Hatoyama, Japan’s former prime minister, also tweeted about Kimura’s death, saying Japan should consider penalties for those who target individuals for severe online harassment.
Kimura was in the cast of Netflix’s internationally popular Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020, a show about six strangers “looking for love while living under the same roof”, according to the US streaming giant.
Local media said her death, which was confirmed on Saturday, follows bullying over her remarks and behaviour on the show, which has been broadcast by both Netflix and Japan’s Fuji Television.
“We are very sorry to report that our Hana Kimura has passed away,” said World Wonder Ring Stardom, a women’s wrestling league in Japan, and changed its Twitter profile picture to one of Kimura.
“Please be respectful and allow some time for things to process, and