Found Deceased Japan - Alice Hodgkinson, 28, British English school teacher, Kanagawa, 1 July 2021

[mucbetam]

Referring back to @MaxRx' earlier post. I just finished consulting with a friend of mine who is a senior journalist in Asia. He was of the view that a very unlikely (given raising of alarm by boss) but possible reason for an any kind of media blackout or embargo is threat of criminal defamation (suing by the school).w he was also of cannot be a story on everyone - for the media it is "just another missing person" - why not write a story about every one of 50 people who died of Covid yesterday? I was expecting him to say that government or police embargoes on missing person news are common but this was not fed back to me, rather that Japanese including expat reporters might be less incline to report on "negative" news in current climes.

 

[SouthAussie]

Referring back to @MaxRx' earlier post. I just finished consulting with a friend of mine who is a senior journalist in Asia. He was of the view that a very unlikely (given raising of alarm by boss) but possible reason for an any kind of media blackout or embargo is threat of criminal defamation (suing by the school).w he was also of cannot be a story on everyone - for the media it is "just another missing person" - why not write a story about every one of 50 people who died of Covid yesterday? I was expecting him to say that government or police embargoes on missing person news are common but this was not fed back to me, rather that Japanese including expat reporters might be less incline to report on "negative" news in current climes.

Regardless of speculations as to why they are not publishing about this in the Japanese media, I wonder how they expect Alice to be found if people don't know that she is missing.

One would expect that especially for a foreigner in their country, they would show a huge level of public concern and get the word out in the media. "Please help find Alice." Demonstrate that they do the right thing for foreigners who may desperately need help in their country.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

I wonder if, because of the contents of the note found, they are bound by certain confidentiality and privacy rules? So they know it is not a missing person per se, one who may have come to harm at the hands of another, but someone who has chosen a course of their own volition? Just speculation.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

神奈川在住のイギリス人英語教師、連絡つかず



神奈川在住のイギリス人英語教師、連絡つかず - BBCニュース

 

[StillDiggin]

There does seam to be something different about MP appeals in Japan. I remember reading first when this disappearance happened that you are not allowed to put in a MP appeal on the TEN (Tokyo Expat Network) FB group. I think this maybe because many women maybe fleeing domestic violence situations and they don’t want to be associated with that.

 

[MaxRx]

神奈川在住のイギリス人英語教師、連絡つかず



神奈川在住のイギリス人英語教師、連絡つかず - BBCニュース

Thanks. That is the Japanese-language version of the article that the BBC put on their site earlier. I think it came out 8 hours ago. The same article was reproduced online here on "WEDGE" 神奈川在住のイギリス人英語教師、連絡つかず Again, WEDGE is not one of the major mainstream publications but they are one step up from the online-only news services of Japanese Internet service companies. Specifically, they are known for their monthly magazines that are sober & conservative - and although available at newsstands, I know them as the free magazine that they place on board the Shinkansen bullet train.

And, this is the Tweet that BBC Japan put out for their Japanese-language article; it's received 400 re-tweets:

https://twitter.com/bbcnewsjapan/status/1412944691213996033

 

[annpats]

I think lack of media involvement and news has to do with the Japanese values of both loss of face and shame.

The agency she worked through and her school she taught at would both feel tremendous amounts of both loss of face and shame if their names were mentioned in relation to a missing foreigner, especially in a country as safe as Japan.

The media spotlight would bring questions asked of them and show them in a negative light, and this is something the Japanese are almost paranoid about not doing.

 

[AmandaSkis]

I am not yet convinced that someone significant has not been in Alice's life. Someone their police don't want to leak reports about.

Surprisingly, I had not thought of this but it could be a reason why Alice decided to extend her employment in Japan.

 

[sahciepachie]

Japanese media reported it on Yahoo news but pretty much took what they found from other news sources

28歳のイギリス人女性が横浜で行方不明…友人らが情報提供を呼びかける（SmartFLASH） - Yahoo!ニュース

also missing people usually aren’t widely publicized unless it’s a child. There’s almost 400 comments on this post- so I’d say it’s getting more coverage than most missing persons.

 

[dotr]

https://twitter.com/search?q=#alicehodgkinson

Twitter

 

[MaxRx]

She has been found, but it is not good news.

• Body of British teacher, 28, tragically found after she disappeared in Japan

 

[sahciepachie]

This is implying she was found in her room, but didn’t release any information until the investigation was over.

or her body was found somewhere in the sharehouse. It’s interesting that they won’t disclose the location

Missing teacher Alice Hodgkinson reportedly found dead in Japan

 

[mucbetam]

Very sad news. Condolences to the family and God rest her soul RIP.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Steve was too upset to say where his daughter’s body was found or how she had died."

Body of missing Brit teacher, 28, found in Japan family confirm

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Oh what sad and dreadful news. You can only imagine what her family must be going through. Or Alice, to have been so low to take her own life. I think once a "note" was mentioned, we all had fears.

 

[SouthAussie]

Oh what sad and dreadful news. You can only imagine what her family must be going through. Or Alice, to have been so low to take her own life. I think once a "note" was mentioned, we all had fears.

Now comes the difficult task of bringing Alice home. Almost all of the articles mention how someone from the family will likely need to fly there, quarantine for two weeks, then bring Alice home. Hopefully the UK embassy staff in Japan can assist them and make this sad task a little easier for them.

 

[dotr]

Body of British teacher, 28, tragically found after she disappeared in Japan
''It appears Alice took her own life and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death, according to reports.''

"We are devastated and it is a very difficult time for our family."
Mum Julie, an NHS worker, is "beside herself with grief", added Steve.''

''The family want to repatriate Alice's body as soon as possible, but her dad is unsure if he or his son will travel to Japan to do so.''

''Steve added that his daughter "seemed to be leading a happy, fulfilling life" and their relationship was "good".
He last saw Alice in 2019 before she went to live abroad.''

''She graduated with a Masters degree in Psychology, though didn't speak any Japanese and relied on Google Translate.''

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

Sometimes people don't show what is really going on inside. Alice had communication with family and obviously put on her "best face" to them, when she must have been going through such inner torment.

Really feel for all of them. Her brother was trying so hard to coordinate from another country and via a different language on social media in the early days, which is where I first came across it as nothing was in the press then.

 

[infinit]

Body of British teacher, 28, tragically found after she disappeared in Japan
''It appears Alice took her own life and police are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death, according to reports.''

"We are devastated and it is a very difficult time for our family."
Mum Julie, an NHS worker, is "beside herself with grief", added Steve.''

''The family want to repatriate Alice's body as soon as possible, but her dad is unsure if he or his son will travel to Japan to do so.''

''Steve added that his daughter "seemed to be leading a happy, fulfilling life" and their relationship was "good".
He last saw Alice in 2019 before she went to live abroad.''

''She graduated with a Masters degree in Psychology, though didn't speak any Japanese and relied on Google Translate.''

"According to reports" - Seems pretty disguisting that between the British and Japanese Police they can't get a clear message to her family.

RIP Alice.

 

[jamjim]

What awful news

RIP Alice.