Traveling is a way to explore oneself. And what better way to welcome your 30s than with one solo trip and reinventing for a new phase?
The 29-year-old Kandace Schipper planned a Japan trip, traveling alone to explore the oriental culture. She is primarily a Chicago native. And like every girl who wishes to set foot in an unknown region, she chose a country known as one of the safest places for female tourists.
There are support groups, travel guides, safety apps, emergency contacts, and other cautionary measures in Japan designed explicitly for women. Most women have praised the “don’t bother” Japanese attitude, even though it can sometimes be isolating.
Nevertheless, it’s pretty safe to roam freely. And she was traveling to Tokyo, which is technologically advanced and equipped with safety features.
Kandace set out on her journey on 8th May this year. With a set itinerary and pre-determined destinations, she informed her family of all her plans before leaving.
As mentioned, one can join several tourist support groups and meet people with similar itineraries. It’s not disclosed how, but Kandcae met a fellow traveler, Luis Torres, who is also a Tokyo resident.
She contacted her family daily to let them know her whereabouts and also mentioned Luis, her new travel buddy.
From 8th May to 4th June, there were consistent call logs between Kandace and her family. But after that, Kandace did not contact her family in the morning. After the entire day went by, her family was worried but still assured that she must be okay. Her sister Chelse Rambo told the reporter–
“She’s always been somebody who’s a free spirit and loves to travel. So when I heard she was going to Japan, I didn’t really think anything out of it.”
Their family friend Martha Vanderlugt said–
“Everything seemed fine. She said she was having a great time. I had spoke to her and yeah, we didn’t have any reason to believe something was wrong.”
As per their recount, the 4th of June was the last time Kandace contacted a mutual friend.
Her family or friends could not reach Kandace’s phone. They tried to contact her travel friend but in vain. The family friend immediately filed a missing person’s report with the US embassy in Japan.
Kendra Ensing said, “It was really very surreal. I’ve never obviously had to file a police report for a missing person before, and I hope that nobody ever does, because it’s not a good feeling.”
But they were informed that nothing substantial could be done until Kandace missed her flight (since she is a foreign tourist).
Where Was Kandace Schipper Last Seen?
According to her sister Chelse, she heard last from Kandace when the family sent birthday wishes to Kandace, the youngest of four sisters.
Chelse told the reporters: “We got a message back that was just saying, ‘I love you guys. Thanks so much,’ and that’s actually the last personal message that I received.”
The next few days were pretty stressful for the family, with no point of contact with their daughter.
Their hopes were dangling from the very loose thread, with the last credit card activity recorded on 5th June.
She was in Shibuya that day, and the final bank transaction was recorded at a burger restaurant in Shinjuku City outside Tokyo. That was the last time Kandace Schipper was seen or her last known location.
What Happened to the Chicago Woman Who Went Missing in Japan?
Fortunately, after ten days, Kandace Schipper has been found safe and sound. Her daily has released an official statement confirming the news–
Her return flight is scheduled for 29th June. The family has not yet disclosed under what circumstances she was found, nor have they mentioned the reason for her disappearance.
Nevertheless, it is a relieving ending for the incident, considering the missing women’s cases usually take months even to reach the initial stage.
What are your thoughts on the case? Do you have any possible theories about why she did not contact her family? How could she have been found? Was she even missing, or did she just want to throw caution to the wind?
Let us know your theory in the comment section below.
