Skye Budnick

Police search for missing American woman in Hokkaido

Thursday 17th April, 01:07 AM JST

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Latest 15 of 33 Total Comments Show All

ADK99 at 04:04 PM JST - 16th April

Japan may be number 10 on the suicide list, but that makes it number 2 among first world countries which certainy does suggest a cultural aspect to suicide.
Himajin at 04:52 PM JST - 16th April

That's good to know, Nessie.
usaexpat at 11:00 PM JST - 16th April

People committ suicide every day in every country. Sad but some people see no other way out. Maybe this girl will find something here worth living for, we can only hope.
romulus3 at 10:35 AM JST - 17th April

if someone has made up their mind to go, nothing can stop it. Not a kind word, not a cherry blossom, and not an inn keeper in Hokkaido.
VoXman at 11:24 AM JST - 17th April

Some would say that is bushido. You could spend your whole life looking for the perfect cherry blossom. Once viewed there would be nothing to live for. According to ancient traditions. Its possible in her mental state she took that literally.
Trevman783 at 03:01 PM JST - 17th April

I actually went to school with this woman. We graduated in 2005 from Southington High School. We used to talk sometimes and she would mention how she was interested in the Japanese culture and always wanted to go there. She was a shy girl, not really a loner, but shy. She was a bright girl too from what I can remember. I read this story and was shocked to hear that she went missing.
CWilliams at 03:59 AM JST - 18th April

Skye, if you come across this story... I hope that once you see what you went there to see, you realize that there will always be more to see, always more to make it worth it. I remember you were shy in high school, and we never talked a lot, but when we did, I guessed you'd get into writing or another quiet, creative career. I didn't guess I'd ever read this about you. I wish you the best.
SQuinn at 08:46 AM JST - 18th April

Like CWilliams and Trevman783, I went to highschool with Skye. I hesitate to say she was my friend; we hung out with the same people, we had the same interests, we talked all the time...but she seemingly did not click with anyone on an extra personal level.

When I first heard about this back when her family was just getting in touch through friends to see if we had any info, I can honestly say I was not surprised that she chose to do this. If you knew her, it just seems like a very Skye thing to do.
sincity at 10:34 AM JST - 18th April

When people commit suicide, they were troubled.

When Japanese commit suicide, they were being Japanese.

Orientalism isn't just a rather baroque style of upholostery, kiddies.
Himajin at 11:25 AM JST - 18th April

She hasn't been found yet? I haven't been able to watch the news lately, there is no new information?
upnorth71 at 01:04 PM JST - 18th April

"When Japanese commit suicide, they were being Japanese" What a load of bu**ocks, sincity. Japanese (or anyone else) commit suicide because of serious emotional problems, not because of their nationality. And "orientalism" has nothing to do with it, that's a term coined by Edward Said about western (mis)perceptions about Middle East/Asian cultures. That said, hope this young lady is found before it is too late.
sincity at 03:42 PM JST - 18th April

Hey, upnorth71

I was being Ironical, criticising the muddle headed, culturalist buttheads that are always on about this alleged Japanese tend to suicide.

Thanks for the Said for Dummies summary though ;)

Agreed on the last bit, anyways.
sincity at 03:56 PM JST - 18th April

oops. "Tendency"
Hapa_musume at 03:09 AM JST - 19th April

Some would say that is bushido. You could spend your whole life looking for the perfect cherry blossom. Once viewed there would be nothing to live for.

Perhaps why my mom, in her late age, wants to goto to Washington to see the cherry blossom festival so much. She has everything now, but the sight and smell of those beautiful flowers.

As for suicide being culturally based, I'd agree. Unlike in the West, failure isn't a death sentence in the eyes of the community. In Japan, if you don't excel, you don't just fail yourself, you fail your clan and community. That level of conformity is too high for some, and the Japanese leave an exit available for undesirables. It's no different than the Inuit putting the kids and elderly on ice floes, to save the band from starvation. Life was tough, and old societies don't change their values overnight, as some mores made their community actually stronger.

Have no idea why this American girl would've wanted to die in Japan. If it's not your culture, thinking suicide is acceptable because Japanese may do so, is a lonely death; especially, when you find out it only applies to those who live that culture, not foreigners aping it.

The world isn't a global village. Each region has it's own mores and reasons why they exist, and they only apply to those who live them.
jackiw2 at 08:41 AM JST - 22nd April

* ***I met skye when i was a parent chaperone for the shs music dept trip to see wicked in nyc. after the show we went to the hard rock cafe to eat and she sat with my daughter and me and the music teacher and a para with an autistic student at our table . I asked her what her plans were after graduation and she mentioned her interest in all things japanese and especially her interest in the art of anime. we discussed this at length and i found her to be very intelligent and culturally astute. she seemed to have definite goals and was not afraid to seek her individuality and be herself. i have to say ,and i am sure southington at large ,will deny this but at the high school ,differences are not celebrated,and if you are not part of a popular group or the group labeled as "those most likely to succeed" you become invisible and that can take a toll on a young person. this child is such a gift to us and we hope that the authorities do everything they can to give her family some closure or how wonderful if she is found alive and well. do not judge her harshly. she was a very sweet person,who loved the japanese culture.