Skye Budnick: Hokkaido, Japan

0:04 This episode discusses topics related to suicide and mental health, which some listeners may find distressing. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to trusted friend, family member, or mental health professional. You are not alone. Help is available. In the United States, you can call or text nine eight eight the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. It's available twenty four hours, seven days a week. In the UK, contact Samaritans at one one six one two three. In Australia, reach out to Lifeline at one three one one one four. For other countries, please visit find a Helpline dot com for a global directory of mental health resources.

0:51 Listener discretion is advised. Ladies and gentlemen. The captain has turned on the fastened seatbelt sign. If you haven't already done so, Please make sure the volume of this podcast is set perfectly to your listening enjoyment. Please take your seat, whether that's on the treadmill, car, sofa, or bed, and buckle in for the Last Trip. My name is Jamie bb and I'll be your tour guide recreating someone's last days in paradise on behalf of myself and everyone behind the scenes. Please enjoy the Last Trip podcast, and because nobody likes a long flight to get to where they want to be, let's prepare for takeoffs. Sky Budnick was twenty one years old in two thousand and eight when she left Connecticut on a one way flight to Japan without telling anyone. After arriving, she was seen at an inn in northern Japan. But from there her trail ended and the mystery only deepened. No one knows why she went to Japan, what happened once she got there, or where she is now, But over sixteen years later, her family is still actively searching for her, and they deserve answers.

2:25 Where is Sky Budnik? I chose this week's case because I'm actually going to be in Japan next week and found it while I was researching my trip. I'll be visiting Tokyo, while Sky went much further north to the area of Hakkaido. Hakkaido is the northernmost of Japan's main islands and is more of a destination for nature lovers, adventurers, and those seeking a quieter atmosphere. It's almost the opposite of a trip to Tokyo. Hakkaido has cool summers at harsh, snowy winters, which makes it a top destination for skiing and snowboarding. The capital city is Siporo, known for the annual Sapporo Snow Festival, Sapporo beer, and my favorite me so ramen. Well, Sapporo isn't as much of a tourist destination as Tokyo, they have some great reasons to check it out. In the spring, the cherry blossoms bloom in the summer, the Sapporo Summer Festival and the beer gardens bring a big crowd, and of course the Saporo Snow Festival in the winter, which features massive ice and snow sculptures.

3:38 While we think Sky made her way to Sapporo, we can't be sure, but we are sure that she stayed at least several days in the small town of Nibori Betsu. Nobori Betsu is famous for its hot springs and natural beauty, but in two thousand and eight it wasn't a place many Westerners were visiting. Japan's tourism industry was still largely focused on domestic travelers, and it was a popular getaway for Japanese families, couples, and retirees seeking the relaxing hot springs It's a very traditional town with limited English at the time, so it would have been difficult for a solo American tourist to get around without being fluent in Japanese.

4:21 Sky would have been and was noticed while she was there. Today, it's still a little off the beaten path for many tourists, but much more popular. The hot springs or onsen bring a lot of people to town. Also, Hell Valley, which isn't as horrible as it sounds, is actually a striking landscape in a volcanic valley with dramatic steam vents and bubbling pools. The natural minerals from the hot springs are believed to have healing properties, so it's also a popular spot for wildness retreats. Like I said, I wouldn't see Hakaido as Sky's first choice to stop when visiting Japan for the first time, especially because she loved anime and the culture so much that Tokyo makes more sense to me. Tokyo is a NonStop, bright, twenty four hour maze of people, places, and things. I've been trying to plan my trip and for everything I want to do, I need to be there for at least a year, so I had to narrow my list down because I'm only going for a week.

5:26 My main goal is to hit some awesome thrift stores because thrift stores in Japan are like my kryptonite. I love the older styles and the fashion, and the prices are super cheap. I cannot wait to shop there. Beyond that, I want to see the Unco Museum, which is a museum entirely dedicated to poop. It's bright, fun and glittery, and gives you the lowdown on everything that happens in the bathroom. Also, they have a bunch of animal cafes where you can go and enjoy a coffee or tea with hedgehogs, owls, cats, rabbits, ferrets, raccoons, and lots of other animals that I'm not sure I've ever seen. For all my fellow true crime enthusiasts, there's also a crime fighting themed cafe where all the bartenders are actually private detectives by day. They'll make you a drink and tell you about their day job, which sounds fascinating to me.

6:23 I also plan to visit some unusual public toilets. The toilets are encased by transparent glass in a variety of vibrant colors and you can see right through them. But once you go inside and lock the door, the walls automatically turn opaque. Just don't forget to lock the door. If you're curious about my trip to Japan, you can always check out my Instagram at feather Girls seventy seven. But for now, let's get to know more about Sky. After a word from our sponsors. Hey, they're true crime afficionados looking for a podcast that's as twisted as it is hilarious.

7:06 Well, you've stumbled upon the perfect place. Welcome to Lumidol on the Wall, or as we like to call it, LOTWA. I'm Becky the sunshine to your day, and I'm Bevy, the moonlight to your darkness. Together were the sisters you never needn needed, bringing you true crime like you've never heard before. Picture this, two sisters, complete opposites. Yeah, she's all sunshine and kindness while I'm the queen of sarcasm and sass. But that's what makes our sister chat so relatable. We're like the sun and the moon lighting up your true crime journey with laughter and irreverence. That's right. We dive into the darkest corners of humanity. But We don't just stop at the core and the controversies. Oh No, We're here to roast the characters, each other, and sometimes even ourselves.

7:50 We laugh hysterically at our own jokes. And we swear like sailors while we're at it. So if you're easily offended, consider this your warning. But if you're ready for a while ride through the twisted minds of murderers, join us on latwa. We'll cope with the horrific nature of our content the only way that we know how that is with a healthy or maybe excessive dose of sarcasm, wit, and a touch acrass humor. So what are you waiting for? Hit that follow button and join our sisterhood as we navigate the murky waters of true crime. Together. We promise you won't regret it. Sky Lynn Budnick was born on February twenty second, nineteen eighty seven, in Connecticut. She has an older brother, Matt, and an older sister, Megan. Growing up, sky fell alienated in middle school and high school because she had different interests than other kids her age. Mainly, she was a huge fan of Japanese culture and anime. Anime is basically a style of animated TV shows, movies, and online series that come from Japan. It's known for its colorful artwork, vibrant characters, and wide range of stories that can be about anything action, romance, science fiction, fantasy, comedy, or even just everyday life. Think of anime as Japan's version of animated storytelling, kind of like how the US has cartoons, except anime is not just for kids. In the early

9:22 two thousands, anime was just hitting the surface in the United States. It was a growing but niche subculture. Back then, fans had to rely heavily on DVDs, and sometimes channels like The Cartoon Network and Adult Swim showed the more popular series. This was also a time that the Internet was starting to explode, so anime fans were able to find each other on blogging sites and chat rooms. They also met up at conventions where they dressed up as their favorite characters. Because it wasn't mainstream, anime fans were often stereotyped as social, awkward or overly obsessed with Japanese culture.

10:04 Through college and these online chat rooms, Sky found friends she could relate to. She was described as very sweet, hard working, and deeply introverted. She was shy, quiet, isolated, and often struggled socially. Sky went to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Connecticut, and at the time of her disappearance, she was a twenty one year old junior studying international business with a concentration or minor in Japanese studies. Her dream was to go to Japan, but unfortunately she had already missed two opportunities through the Study Abroad program because she was failing several classes. Most of her personal time was devoted to watching or playing with anime, and her struggles to fit in socially were reflective of her worstening depression, which was an illness that had occasionally appeared and other members of her family. At the end of two thousand and eight seven, Sky started messaging her friends on Facebook to see if they wanted to buy collectibles and possessions off of her. She told them the money was to pay for school, but that wasn't exactly the truth.

11:12 Her parents were paying for school and she had student loans, so nobody knows why she wanted the money or why she'd want to get rid of her things. In the beginning of two thousand and eight, there were several disappointments in a row that led to a particularly difficult time for Sky. In January, Sky either missed or canceled her first trip to Japan, but she hadn't told anyone she planned to go. The only reason her family found out about it was because Skuy's mom received a courtesy call notifying her of the missed flight. When she asked Sky about it, she claimed she was just looking into flights for her friend. Her family didn't think much of it, but later found out the flight was hers and was never refunded. She was already struggling atadically and then was heartbroken to learn in March that her grades weren't good enough and she had missed the deadline to travel with the Study Abroad program to Japan, and she found out that the opportunity would not happen again until after she graduated. Then, on March twenty fifth, a good friend of Sky's reached out to her on Facebook Messenger, upset and hurt that Sky was belittling her Japanese around their friends and making fun of her. They chatted and Sky apologized for how she acted and they made up, but it did seem like Sky was really hard on herself about hurting her friend.

12:36 On that same day, there was a ten dollars charge from a travel agency posted to s Guy's bank account. Her family later realized this was when the booking process was either started or completed for her trip to Japan. The next day, Sky reached back out to the friend she had argued with and thanked her for being such a good friend. That's also when a charge for seven hundred thirty seven dollars and forty cents was posted to her bank account for the purchase of her flight. Sky's last day in the United States with March thirty first, two thousand and eight, she was in good spirits with her family and asked her mom to bake some of her favorite cupcakes. When her sister told her she could learn to bake them herself, Sky said she just wanted her mom to make them one last time. In hindsight, it's rather ominous, but at the time no one thought anything of it. Sky was still living at home, but that night told her family that she'd be staying with a friend on campus for a few days, and that was the last time they ever saw or heard from Sky.

13:45 On April first, two thousand and eight, without telling anyone, Sky boarded a one way flight to Japan out of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut on United Airlines. She left her thousand and five Chevy Aveo parked at the airport and took her keys with her, but she didn't bring a suitcase full of clothes, rather just her computer, Nintendo DS, debit card, and perhaps an outfit or two. Her first layover was in Washington, d C, where she withdrew eight hundred dollars from an ATM at the airport, leaving four hundred dollars remaining in her bank account. On April second, Sky landed in Tokyo for another layover at three point thirty in the afternoon, and three hours later she took the final leg of her flight to Sapporo Chitose Airport and arrived there at seven forty five pm.

14:40 So without telling anyone at all, and her parents thinking she's just staying with a friend on campus, Sky flew halfway across the world by herself for reasons unknown. But how was it? No one noticed? Partly because the day she left, her sister Meghan, who was twenty four at the time and also living at home, ended up in the hospital with medical issues. While all that was going on, the family lost track of time and didn't realize they hadn't seen Sky in a couple of days. This gave Sky time to get to Japan and spend her first few days there with nobody knowing she was gone. When Sky got to the Chetose airport, she went to the train station but had trouble figuring out how to buy a ticket. There, she met a man who helped her purchase the ticket, and when he came forward as a witness later, he said she was upset during the interaction, but I think most people would be. Japan isn't the easiest place to get around, and I'm sure she was tired from her long flight from there. It's unknown where she took the train or where she stayed the night of April second or April third back in Connecticut. It was the evening of April third that her family realized they hadn't heard from her, so the next day they started calling her friends to find her. Skuy didn't have a cell phone, which complicated things, and she told her friends varying stories about where she was and who she was staying with, but no one mentioned her leaving for

16:10 any kind of trip, especially to Japan. While they were searching, her brother realized he could log into her email on the family computer because she had previously been logged in, and they were shocked to see a flight itinerary for April first to Japan. They called the police, but because Sky is an adult, there wasn't much they could do, so the family went to the airport and found her car, realizing that she really had gotten on the flight. That same day, April Forest, Sky checked into the Kiyomizuya Ryokin in Nobori, Betsu and stayed there for two nights. It's a traditional Japanese inn known for its hot springs that feature sulfuric spring waters. It's also close to popular spots like Hell Valley and the Nebora at sue Their Park.

17:02 On April fifth, Sky's father, Robert, called the US Consulate General to let them know Sky was missing in Japan. On April sixth, Sky took a taxi to Kruu su Onsen Suzuki Rukin and stayed there for one night. And that's another inn with hot springs that's even less commercialized. The next day, April seventh, when Sky checked out of the Onsen. She mentioned to the innkeeper that she was headed to Supporo. The innkeeper said she didn't seem depressed and was in good spirits. There was no indication anything was wrong, but that was the last ever confirmed sighting of Sky. On April tenth, Sky's sister Meghan and her mom Susan, flew to Supporo because in order to file a missing person's report, they had to do it in person.

17:54 Once they arrived, they were in complete culture shock. They were met with one road block after another. They were in a country they knew very little about and had almost no help to navigate what was going on. Most people will never realize how truly difficult it is to navigate the search for a loved one, especially in another country, and it was even harder in two thousand and eight because there was less technology and less social media. Sky didn't even have a cell phone. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. On April thirteenth, they held a press conference in Tokyo, asking anyone with information to come forward, but unfortunately, very little could be done because Sky was legally an adult. It was after the press conference that they found out where she had stayed, as well as her run in with the man at the train station, but there were still no closer to finding Sky. Running into numerous dead ends, they left Japan to continue their search from home. Once back in the US, they were able to go through Sky's bank statements and discovered the at and withdrawal in Washington during her layover.

19:07 But how long would eight hundred dollars really last in Japan? Not only did Guy not have much money with her, but her family questioned how she was able to get into the country without a visa or a return ticket into that. Japan said they let her in without one because sometimes people slip in through the cracks. I'm not sure that would happened with today's technology, but apparently it happened then. But her family still didn't think Sky could have gone through and planned this all by herself. They thought a more likely scenario was that she met someone and they were helping her navigate the trip. After leaving Japan, there were even fewer leads coming in in Sky's case, just didn't get much more attention. That is until years later, when her sister Megan started speaking up on TikTok and social media. She spoke extensively about what it's been like searching for her sister over the last sixteen years. Her podcast Surviving Sky is truthful, raw, emotional, and gives a glimpse into what people go through when they have a missing loved one. I don't think people realize how difficult a disappearance is to navigate, or even just how expensive it is to continue looking year after year. I highly suggest listening to her podcast or checking her out on social media. Finally, in the spring of twenty twenty four, the Japanese government told Megan and Susan that with the

20:38 advances of technology, they wanted to run DNA against the Jane does they found, but they had to give their DNA in person, so Megan set up a GoFundMe to cover travel costs and they flew back to Japan to give a DNA sample. Unfortunately, as of September twenty twenty four, they were told the DNA samples they submitted came back and there were no matches. So what happened to Sky Budnick and where is she now? Guy's trail stops cold and there are no clues in her disappearance, which means there are a lot of theories. Sky's family believes she met someone online who lured her to Japan. She was shy and quiet, and they just don't think she would have gone all the way to Japan completely by herself.

21:30 This could be wise she went to Hakaido rather than Tokyo, the obvious tourists fought, especially for someone who's never been to Japan, would be Tokyo. Her sister thinks she could have easily met someone in a chat room online who they instructed her how to leave the way she did where to go, taking very little with her and not telling anyone she was leaving. If she did meet with someone, anything could have happened. It could have been a love story and they got married, and she's living happily in a small town somewhere in Japan. And I hope for Sky and her family that is what happened. But I don't think she would willingly put her family through this just and devastation of not knowing what happened to her, especially after all this time. There are people online that catfish for a number of reasons, and if Sky did meet someone from the internet, it's possible they had bad intentions.

22:23 I do think foul play is a heavy possibility in this case, whether she went to Japan to meet someone who hurt her, or something happened once she got there. She was young, traveling solo, and inexperienced. Those are all ingredients that can lead to foul play. There's a possibility Sky was recruited by a cult. There are a surprising number of cults operating in Japan. There was even one recruiting out of Sapporo in two thousand and eight. They're notorious for having their members cut off all contact with their families. Another possibility is that Sky went to Japan to take her own life. Sky had a history of depression, which is documented by her sister and other family members, and there were little things looking back that could have been indications of suicidal thoughts. She said things like she'd die happy after seeing the cherry blossoms in Japan. She talked about traveling to Japan and killing herself there. She told her mom she wanted her to bake her favorite cupcakes one last time, and she was selling off her belongings.

23:33 Those could all be signs that someone is considering suicide. Many people online have brought up suicide forests in Japan which is simply a forest that has gained a lot of notoriety due to the numerous depths. Over the years, it's become one of the most well known suicide spots in the world. There are dense trees, people become disoriented and lost there, and it's got a very dark reputation. But it's located at the base of Mount Fuji, which is about twenty two hours by car and ferry from where Sky was in Hokkaido. If she did go there to take her life, it's unlikely she did it in Suicide Forest because someone would have seen her traveling there.

24:17 She would have been easily noticed in most places throughout Japan as a tall, white woman traveling solo. In two thousand and eight, Sky's family also found an unsent email in Sky's account addressed to a friend, which could have been taken as a suicide note, But that note could also have been just a letter that was never sent, or a note describing how she wanted to disappear and start over in a new country. This all happened in two thousand and eight, and technology wasn't where it is now. There's no footage of her on camera anywhere She didn't have a cell phone, and social media wasn't where it is now, so her disappearance couldn't reach the type of audience that would today. All they really had to go on was her Facebook account, emails, and bank account. It's possible she was able to go to Japan and fly under the radar in a small town and start a new life. There's also a phenomenon in Japan called a hatsup or the evaporating people, and it's a way that people choose to disappear. They disappear completely from their old lives and live in secret. They shed their addresses, jobs, families, change their names, and sometimes even their faces, disappearing for any number of reasons depression, addiction, sexual impropriety, domestic violence, debt, or even job or school failures. And it's something that isn't talked about much, but a lot of people disappear and live in a kind of society underneath Japan's society.

25:51 There are agencies that help people evaporate for as little as four hundred and fifty US dollars, which wasn't unreasonable for Sky. I'm not sure they would have helped an American, but if they wanted the money, then I don't see why they wouldn't. It suggested that one hundred thousand people have vanished each year since the mid nineteen nineties, which is a much higher number than the suicides in Suicide Forest, which is about one hundred people a year. It's been sixteen years and there are no clues on Sky's whereabouts, but someone out there usually knows something, and I think in this case, someone needs to come forward in order to find the truth. Until then, everything is just a theory.

26:41 Should you travel to Japan, Absolutely, it's an amazing and safe country to visit. To put it into perspective, the Japanese crime rate is one fourth the rate in the United States. There are ten times more murders in the US than Japan, times more rapes per capita, and two hundred and eight times more robberies. Japan is at the top of many general safety rinkings, but the country is prone to several natural disasters that you'll want to be aware of. There are typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions.

27:21 If a typhoon is coming while you're visiting Japan, advanced preparation is key. Stock up on water non perishable food, flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, and keep your essential documents in a waterproof bag. Familiarize yourself with local evacuation shelters and roots. During the typhoon, don't go outside. This seems obvious to most people, but really don't go outside, even through an Instagram video. Also, stay away from windows, on plug electronics, and if you can, steer clear of rivers, coastal areas, and low lying regions that are prone to flooding or landslides.

28:03 Earthquakes in Japan are the ones that scare me because they're usually pretty big. If you're in an earthquake, remember to drop, cover and hold on. Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck under a sturdy table, and hold on until the shaking stops. If you're outside during an earthquake, move away from buildings, street lights, and utility wires. Find an open space and stay low to the ground. If you're in a vehicle during an earthquake, pull over to a safe spot away from bridges, overpasses, and power lines, and stay in your car until the shaking stocks and when the shaking does stop. Remember that there are usually after shocks and they can also be pretty powerful. Tsunamis also happen in Japan and are usually triggered by underwater earthquakes. If you feel a strong earthquake or hear a warning, act fast, don't wait for official instructions.

29:02 Get to higher ground immediately. If you're in a building, don't use an elevator because there's not going to be time to take the stairs. Get away from beaches, rivers, and harbors. Get to the highest most stable ground you can as quickly as possible, and stay there and tell authorities declare it's safe. Multiple waves can follow in a tsunami, and the first wave is not always the largest. Japan has a lot of active volcanoes that can erupt. If this happens, follow evacuation orders immediately, wear long sleeved clothing and a mask to prevent inhaling ash. If evacuation is not required, stay inside and seal the doors and windows.

29:48 Similar to earthquakes, there may be secondary eruptions or aftershocks, so be sure to get the all clear from authorities before returning to normal activities. With any emergencies in Pan, to get the police dial one one zero, and to get fire or ambulance dial one one nine. Sky didn't tell anyone she was going anywhere, especially halfway across the world to a country she had never been in. Had she even told her friend, she may not be missing today. Please make sure that, no matter where you're traveling, you inform someone about your plans Before going anywhere, Tell someone reliable where you're going and what you'll be doing, and when to expect you back. My number one tip to staying alive on vacation is to pay attention to your gut.

30:38 If something doesn't feel right, it isn't. Sky Budnick was twenty one years old when she disappeared, and she'd be thirty seven now. She was last seen on April seventh, two thousand and eight, in the Boribatsu, Akkaido, Japan, by an innkeeper. She's originally from Connecticut. She is white, five feet six inches, one hundred and eighty pounds, brown hair, and blue eyes. Her laptop computer is also still missing. Her family is desperately searching for her, and they deserve answers. If you have any information at all about Sky Budnick, please call the Southington Police Department at eight six zero three seven eight one six nine eight agency case number zero eight DASH four nine one one, And finally, remember to leave a review and rate this podcast five stars if you like the show, or hell even if you don't, but either way feel free to let me know what you think. Please follow The Last Trip on Instagram at the Last Trip Crime Pod and subscribe on Patreon to support the show, get extra research, videos, photos and updates, and even learn more about my personal travels. That's patreon dot com. Slash the Last.

32:09 To a podcast. I'm Jamiebbe, bringing you your Last Trip and signing off until the next one. Thanks for listening.