She was a cast member on the Fuji Television and Netflix reality television series Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020 which is the fifth installment of the Terrace House franchise. Following a series of suicidal tweets addressing online criticism directed at her from Terrace House viewers, she was found dead by suicide in her apartment in Tokyo on May 23, 2020.[6]
In the 2010s, Kimura was trained at Wrestle-1's Professional Wrestling University.[8]
Wrestle-1 (2016–2019)
After graduating the Wrestle-1 training academy, she debuted for promotion on March 30, 2016, against her classmate, Reika Saiki, in a losing effort.[9] The pair wrestled against each other many times throughout 2016 in Wrestle-1.[10]
On August 7, 2016, Kimura wrestled against her mother in a match. On September 18, 2016, Kimura captured her first title, the JWP Junior Championship, by defeating Yako Fujigasaki in a tournament final.[10] She lost her JWP Junior Championship on December 28, 2016, to Yako Fujigasaki. On January 22, 2017, her mother retired. In Kyoko's retirement show, Kimura defeated her mother in a singles match and on the same show, the two teamed in a trios match in a winning effort.[10]
During 2017, Kimura split her time between Wrestle-1, Sendai Girls' Pro Wrestling and Stardom while being a contracted performer for Wrestle-1. Kimura officially became a Wrestle-1 roster member on January 9, 2018.[11] She made an international tour in early 2018, competing for Ring of Honor, Pro-Wrestling: EVE, and various promotions in Mexico.
On March 21, 2019, Kimura announced she was leaving Wrestle-1.[12]
World Wonder Ring Stardom (2016–2020)
Around September 2016, Kimura also began appearing in World Wonder Ring Stardom. On October 2, 2016, Kimura teamed with her mother and Kagetsu to capture the Artist of Stardom Championship. The team vacated the titles on January 3, 2017, when Kimura was injured. Kimura eventually became a member of Stardom's heel stable, Oedo Tai. On June 21, 2017, at Stardom's Galaxy Stars 2017 event, Kimura teamed with her fellow Oedo Tai member, Kagetsu, to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship by defeating Team Jungle (Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona). Kimura and Kagetsu held the titles for nearly a year, successfully defending against teams such as Jungle Kyona and HZK, Io Shirai and Viper, Jungle Kyona and Natsuko Tora, HZK and Momo Watanabe, Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano. The team was defeated by Mayu Iwatani and Saki Kashima in 2018.[10] Kimura left Oedo Tai on September 24, after she attacked Kagetsu.[13]
She officially joined Stardom on March 25, 2019.[14] On April 6, Kimura, along with Stella Grey and Sumie Sakai wrestled Jenny Rose and Oedo Tai (Kagetsu and Hazuki) in a dark match at Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s G1 Supercard.[15] On April 14, at the 2019 Stardom draft, Hana was named leader of the International Army faction.[16] The faction was renamed, "Tokyo Cyber Squad", on April 21.[17] On May 16, Kimura, along with her stablemates Jungle Kyona and Konami won the Artist of Stardom Championship after defeating Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima, and Tam Nakano.[18]
During her Stardom career, she won the Artist of Stardom Championship twice and the Goddess of Stardom championship once,[21] while also winning the 2019 5★Star GP tournament and Stardom Fighting Spirit Award.[22]
Appearance on
Kimura joined the reality television series Terrace House: Tokyo 2019–2020 in September 2019, appearing on the show until her death.[23] One episode filmed in early January 2020 showed Kimura involved in a verbal conflict with her housemate, Kai Edward Kobayashi, for damaging her wrestling attire. After the episode aired in March 2020, her actions drew criticism, name calling and abuse from social media users, sending her into depression.[20][24][25] The release of new Terrace House episodes was suspended as a result of Kimura's death,[26][6] and Fuji TV later cancelled the season.[27][28]
Before her death, Kimura was set to co-star with Ena Fujita in the music video for the musician's June 2020 single "Dead Stroke"[29] and Lalo the Don's "Til The Break of Don", recorded before COVID-19 pandemics and uploaded on YouTube in May 20, 2021.[30]
Personal life
Kimura was a daughter of Kyoko Kimura, who is also a professional wrestler.[31][32] Before she was one year old, she was separated from her father.[33] While the identity of her biological father is not publicly known, Kimura had mentioned in interviews that he is an Indonesian national and because of this, she was referred to as Indonesian-Japanese.[34][35] She was bullied as a child because of her mixed ethnic heritage.[36][37]
On May 23, 2020, Kimura committed suicide at age 22.[38][39]
Early that morning, Kimura posted self-harm images on Twitter and Instagram while sharing some of the hate comments she received.[40][41][42][43]
On December 15, 2020, the police announced that they had arrested a man in his mid-20s for cyberbullying.[44][45] The man, who resides in Osaka Prefecture, admitted to the allegations and was quoted by the police as saying he "couldn’t forgive Kimura’s attitude on the program."[46] On March 30, 2021, the Tokyo Prosecutors Office indicted the Osaka man for online abuse directed at Kimura, but wasn’t obliged to face trial under the indictment, as is often the case for relatively minor offenses in Japan. He was issued an order of ¥9000 ($80 USD) fine, which prompted concerns that the punishment was too light.[47]
On April 5, 2021, Tokyo Metropolitan Police charged a second man in his late 30s for online abuse he sent Kimura. Metropolitan Police Department said the second man, from Fukui Prefecture, admitted to the allegations during voluntary questioning, with investigative sources quoting him as saying, "Many hateful messages had been posted, and I followed suit. I’m sorry."[48] When asked why he did it, he said he was "simply joining in with what he saw others doing on her site."[49]
On the May 27 episode of WWE NXT, Io Shirai and commentator Mauro Ranallo paid tribute to Hana with the following phrase: "Hana was one of the most talented female wrestlers in the world, and I was looking forward to watching her grow to see how far she could go," Io began. "I will always remember her smile that would brighten up any room she walked into. It is so important that we all love and treat each other with respect."[51] On the May 29 of WWE SmackDown, Sasha Banks wore a black armband that said "HANA" in white letters[52] At NXT TakeOver: In Your House, Dakota Kai sported pink hair that she confirmed was dyed as a tribute to Kimura.[53]
Kimura's fellow Terrace House cast member Peppe drew her in the third volume of his manga series Mingo, which was released on July 10.[55]
On the September 3 episode of AEW Dynamite, professional wrestler Kenny Omega wore a Hana Kimura shirt on what would've been her 23rd birthday. The shirt was released on Pro Wrestling Tees with all the proceeds going to Hana's mother, Kyoko.[56]
On March 31, 2021, Kyoko Kimura, Hana's mother launched the non-profit Remember Hana, an anti-bullying organization.[57] Later that year on May 23, Kyoko held the Hana Kimura Memorial Show in honor of her late daughter.
^Alvarez, Bryan; Meltzer, Dave (May 24, 2020). "WOR: Hana Kimura, AEW Double or Nothing, Stadium Stampede, more! 5/24". Wrestling Observer Radio. Event occurs at 15:00-15:40. Retrieved May 24, 2020. The death was actually at 4:00 am. She had ingested hydrogen sulfide. So that was the cause of death and not too much else is going to be released because her mother did not want much more released.
^"木村響子&ISAOの娘・木村花がWRESTLE-1入団!" [Kyoko Kimura & ISAO's daughter, Hana Kimura, joins WRESTLE-1!]. Battle-News (in Japanese). January 9, 2018. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
^"ドラフト会議2019/ユニット新編成速報" [Draft Conference 2019 / New Unit Organization Bulletin]. Stardom (in Japanese). Stardom. April 14, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2019.
^"【試合詳細】4・21 スターダム大阪大会(昼)". Battle-News (in Japanese). Battle-News. April 21, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
^"藤田恵名、『バキ』ED曲MV公開。木村花を予定していた女格闘家役にプロ雀士・和久津晶" [Ena Fujita releases MV for "Baki" ED song. Akira Wakutsu, a professional [mahjong player], plays the role of a female martial artist who was planned to be played by Hana Kimura]. Barks (in Japanese). June 17, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
^"【スターダム】木村花 元レスラーの母に「石の上にも三年」と言われたけど…" [[Stardom] Hana Kimura Former wrestler's mother told me, “Three years on the stone” ...]. Tokyo Sports (in Japanese). August 22, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2020.
^"『テラハ』出演の木村花さんが死去 22歳 所属のスターダムが発表" [Hana Kimura, who appeared on "[Terrace House]", dies at 22 years old, Stardom announced] (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-04-24.