HIKAKIN

Here's the thing about HIKAKIN that still amazes me: he basically invented what a Japanese YouTuber even is. The guy started as a beatboxer stocking shelves at a supermarket, dropped that "Super Mario Beatbox" clip that went global, and then bet his whole life on a platform nobody took seriously yet. That's vision. What I respect most is how clean he's kept it all these years, daily uploads for over a decade with barely a real scandal, just relentless, friendly consistency that made "YouTuber" the No.1 dream job for Japanese kids. He's the SEIKIN brother who built UUUM, the cat dad to Maruo and Mofuko, and now the misokin ramen mogul. Wholesome, sharp, and genuinely pioneering. I think his name actually sticks.

HIKAKIN (born Hikaru Kaihatsu, April 21, 1989) is a Japanese YouTuber from Myoko, Niigata, widely regarded as the pioneer of professional YouTube content creation in Japan. He launched his YouTube channel in December 2006 posting self-taught beatbox videos, and went full-time on YouTube in 2012 after resigning from a supermarket job. He co-founded UUUM Co., Ltd. in 2013 and serves as its founder and chief advisor, while his channel HikakinTV reached 10 million subscribers in 2021 and held the top subscriber ranking among Japanese YouTube channels for an extended period.

Name (English)

HIKAKIN

Name (Japanese)

開發光

Reading

かいはつ ひかる

Born

April 21, 1989 (age 37)

Zodiac / Chinese zodiac

Taurus / Snake

Origin

Myoko, Niigata, Japan

Blood type

O

Height

174 cm

Agency

UUUM Co., Ltd. (Founder & Chief Advisor)

Active years

2006–present

Occupation

YouTuber / Human Beatboxer / Entrepreneur

Elementary school

Myokokogen Minami Elementary School

Junior high

Myokokogen Junior High School

High school

Niigata Prefectural Arai High School

University

Did not attend university

Debut

December 30, 2006 — launched the "HIKAKIN" YouTube channel and began posting beatbox videos

Awards & achievements

• 2011 YouTube Silver Creator Award
• 2014 Yahoo! Search Awards Special Category Prize
• 2017 YouTube Gold Creator Award
• 2019 Asia Fashion Award
• 2020 LINE NEWS Award (Talent Category)
• 2020 Digital Content of the Year '20 Distinguished Service Award
• 2021 YouTube Diamond Creator Award

Timeline

1. 2006Launched the "HIKAKIN" YouTube channel and began posting beatbox videos
2. 2010Posted "Super Mario Beatbox," which gained widespread attention in Japan and overseas
3. 2011Launched "HikakinTV" channel and began posting daily lifestyle videos
4. 2012Resigned from supermarket job and transitioned to full-time YouTuber
5. 2013Launched "HikakinGames" channel; co-founded UUUM Co., Ltd. and became its founder and chief advisor
6. 2015HikakinTV reached number-one subscriber count in Japan; co-created "YouTube Theme Song" with brother SEIKIN
7. 2021HikakinTV surpassed 10 million subscribers
8. 2023Launched personal brand "Hikakin Premium" and released "Misokkin Thick Miso Ramen" and related products at 7-Eleven
9. 2024Announced marriage to a private individual (registered January 1, 2024); Misokkin series reached cumulative 10 million meals sold
10. 2024Announced the birth of his first child (daughter) in August 2024

Spouse

Private individual (nickname: Tsumakin)

Children

One daughter (born 2024)

Parents

Private

Siblings

Older brother: SEIKIN (YouTuber)

Hobbies

• Video production
• Gaming
• Beatboxing

Specialties

• Human beatboxing
• Video editing

Motto

Private

• Official sitehttps://uuum.jp/creator/hikakin
• Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/hikakin/
• Xhttps://x.com/hikakin
• YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/user/HIKAKIN
• Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIKAKIN

Tags

• From Niigata
• UUUM
• YouTuber
• Human Beatboxer
• HikakinTV
• Misokkin
• Top Japanese YouTuber
• Gaming Commentary

Last updated

2026-06-02

Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.