From a Supermarket Back Room to No.1 in Japan: How HIKAKIN Invented the Career of "YouTuber"
He barely appears on television, yet almost everyone in Japan—child and adult alike—knows his name. When a new kind of star emerged in Japan, standing at the very front of that wave was a young man from Myoko, Niigata: Hikaru Kaihatsu, known to the world as HIKAKIN.
His path was never a paved royal road. While working at a regional supermarket, he relentlessly honed the art of human beatboxing—making music with nothing but his mouth—and bet everything on YouTube, a platform almost no one yet considered a real job. That decision would go on to redraw the map of Japanese entertainment.
This is the story of how one beatboxer invented the very way of life we now call "professional YouTuber."
A Boy from Myoko and the Music Born from His Mouth
HIKAKIN was born on April 21, 1989, in Myoko, Niigata Prefecture. He spent his boyhood in that snow-covered region, attending Myokokogen Minami Elementary, Myokokogen Junior High, and Niigata Prefectural Arai High School. He never went on to university.
What changed his destiny was not an instrument but his own mouth. He became obsessed with human beatboxing—producing drum and bass sounds using only his throat and lips—and on December 30, 2006, he began posting performance videos to YouTube under the channel name "HIKAKIN." At the time, YouTube was still in its infancy, and the idea of making a living from it had crossed almost no one's mind.
"Super Mario Beatbox" and the Moment the World Turned to Look
The turning point came in 2010. With "Super Mario Beatbox," he recreated the beloved game soundtrack using only his voice, and the single clip exploded in popularity both at home and abroad, carrying his name across the ocean.
One person, with nothing but his mouth, could connect to the entire world—no broadcaster, no agency, no record label in between. An unknown young man from the countryside reached audiences on the other side of the planet. It was the most vivid early proof of the possibilities that the profession of "YouTuber" would later hold.
The Decision to Go Full-Time and the Invention of Filming the Everyday
In 2011, alongside his beatboxing, HIKAKIN launched "HikakinTV." With its friendly product reviews and casual glimpses of daily life, the channel propelled him toward national stardom.
Then, in 2012, he resigned from his supermarket job and committed to living entirely as a YouTuber. Letting go of stable employment to leap into an unproven world surely demanded real courage. He answered that gamble through quiet, grueling persistence—uploading videos every single day. Daily uploads sustained for over a decade are far harder than they sound.
Founding UUUM and Building the Industry Itself
In 2013, HIKAKIN launched the gaming channel "HikakinGames" and, at the same time, helped found UUUM Co., Ltd., an agency to support YouTubers. As its founder and chief advisor, he shifted to the side of building the industry itself, paving the road so that the creators who followed could walk it.
In 2015, HikakinTV reached the top subscriber count in Japan, and the "YouTube Theme Song" he created with his brother and fellow YouTuber SEIKIN drew wide attention. In 2021, HikakinTV surpassed 10 million subscribers. His accolades—from YouTube's own awards to the Yahoo! Search Awards and various media honors—make clear that he was never a passing fad.
The Wisdom to Avoid Scandal and a New Chapter Called Misokkin
For all his fame, HIKAKIN has stayed remarkably free of real scandal. His shrewd composure and evident good nature are surely big reasons he has remained beloved for so long. His life with his Scottish Fold cats, Maruo and Mofuko, has also endeared him to fans.
In 2023, he launched his own brand, "Hikakin Premium," releasing "Misokkin Thick Miso Ramen" at 7-Eleven. It became a social phenomenon, surpassing a cumulative 10 million meals sold. He proved himself not only an entertainer but an entrepreneur with a genuine talent for creating hit products.
On January 1, 2024, HIKAKIN announced his marriage to a private individual, and that August he reported the birth of his first child, a daughter—stepping into a new chapter of his life.
From a supermarket back room to No.1 in Japan, he did not merely succeed; he created the very dream of "wanting to become a YouTuber" in countless children. As the pioneer who quietly leveled the ground for a new media era, his name is certain to endure for a long time to come.