OKAYAMA (TR) — Police and local rescue crews are scrambling to locate a 76-year-old woman who disappeared into the night from a historic hot spring resort here, wearing nothing but a light pink floral yukata and white sandals, reports TV Asahi (May 6).
Hiroko Fujita, a resident of Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, was visiting the popular Yunogo Onsen with four family members for the Golden Week holidays. She vanished on the night of May 1 after her husband last confirmed her presence at their accommodation around 9:00 p.m. She left behind all personal belongings.
While nighttime strolls are uncommon in the resort area, a series of eerie sightings the following morning suggest the elderly woman wandered miles away from her hotel.
At 6:00 a.m. on May 2, a witness spotted a woman matching Fujita’s description walking on the vehicle side of the street, about a 40-minute walk from the center of the resort town. “It left a strong impression, seeing someone dressed like that, walking where she shouldn’t be at that hour,” the man said.
Less than an hour later, at 6:50 a.m., another local saw her trudging near a wooded curve in the road. “She appeared suddenly. She was walking with her head down, looking haggard and exhausted. Something felt very wrong,” the witness recalled.
By 7:30 a.m., a security camera captured a figure resembling Fujita approximately four kilometers away from the resort center. The footage showed her moving steadily away from the town and heading toward the mountains.
On May 5, authorities launched a massive search operation mobilizing 500 police officers, firefighters, and local volunteers to comb the mountainous terrain. The search continued through May 6, but Fujita remains missing.
Police describe Fujita as standing 158 centimeters tall. Of average build, she has shoulder-length brown hair. While she is physically mobile and can state her own name, authorities note she is unable to recall her address, suggesting potential cognitive impairment.
Tatsuyuki Narumi, a former section chief of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Investigation Division 1, weighed in on the mystery, suggesting Fujita likely became disoriented in the unfamiliar environment.
“She may have lost her sense of place at the hotel, and a ‘homing instinct’ kicked in, causing her to wander off,” Narumi said. “When someone has strong legs and hips, they will just keep walking. If she is wandering without knowing where she is, the danger level is extremely high. While an accident is likely, we also cannot entirely rule out the possibility that someone took her in to protect her.”
Police are continuing to appeal to the public for information as the search enters its critical phase.
