Music composer Hidekazu Tanaka was arrested on Monday for an attempted assault of a teenager, as various news media outlets in Japan reported.
According to the NHK’s report, in August of 2022, the 35-year-old man talked in obscene language to a teenage girl who was on her way home. He forcibly pulled her by the hand and attempted to assault her in a dark place at a parking area near a train station in Meguro-ku, Tokyo. The victim defended herself, managed to run away, and reported it to a local police station. The police found that the train station’s camera showed him following her.
Yomiuri Shimbun also reports that the music composer got away from the location after he met with her resistance, and the camera record identified his figure, in addition to his statement to the police, in which he said that he saw the woman at a different station and followed her because she was his “type.” Hidekazu Tanaka was arrested on Monday and is currently under investigation in suspicion of attempted indecent offense.
Under the Japanese criminal code, Article 176 defines the offender as a person who conducted an indecent act using violence or threat against a person aged 13 and over, and the sentence for the crime is imprisonment ranging from six months to 10 years. The same applies to an offender’s indecent act against a person aged below 13 likewise.
Hidekazu Tanaka is a well-known composer for anime and gaming music such as The Idolmaster franchise. In the anime industry, he was involved with Nyaruko: Crawling with Love series, Working series, Aikatsu! and more. His official playlist is available on Apple Music. In the 2022 Fall anime season, he composed and arranged “Ichigo Ichie Celebration” for singer Kano and anime character Hana Uzaki’s voice actress sing for the opening theme song of Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! Season 2. The CD single is scheduled to be released on November 30, 2022. The music composer’s Twitter page was last updated on October 22 night.
Featured Image: © Hidekazu Tanaka © Manta Aisora, SB Creative / Meijoshigatai Seisakuiin-kai no Yo na Mono