American Woman Missing In Hokkaido

The Japanese press is reporting that an American woman is missing in Hokkaido and it is feared she may have taken her own life:

A 21-year-old female college student from the United States has been missing since arriving in Hokkaido on April 2, her mother and sister said Tuesday, asking Japanese people to come forward with any information they may have about her.

Skye Budnick’s 54-year-old mother, Susan, and her 24-year-old sister, Megan, who arrived in Japan last Thursday, said she left their home in Southington, Conn. on April 1 for a trip to Hokkaido, leaving them a memo saying she would stay at a friend’s place there.

Megan Budnick said her sister had suicidal wishes and that they had also found a note at their home in which she said she wanted to end her life after seeing cherry blossoms in Japan.

Budnick, who is 168 cm tall and has brown hair, is believed to have stayed at a Japanese-style inn in the southern Hokkaido city of Noboribetsu on April 7.

Anyone with information her whereabouts is asked to contact the U.S. Consulate in Sapporo at 011-641-1115.