We are missing Pascal Stadtmüller, German citizen, who was last seen by his girlfriend at Odawara Station on 27 August 2024 at about 2 p.m.
They were travelling Japan together, they were in transit from Tokyo to Kyoto, spending one night in Hakone from 26 to 27 August. Arrival in Kyoto was planned for August 27, where Pascal was expected to come but did not show up.
Has anybody seen Pascal in the afternoon or night of August 27 or early morning of August 28 in Odawara, in the Hakone area or at any later point of time or any different place?
He (age 43) is 1,83m, has blonde short hair, European looking, wears glasses (which he maybe lost). On the day of his disappearance he was wearing a black tank top, khaki shorts, black Adidas sneakers, beige baseball cap. He had a blue backpack (brand Burton) and a small black cross-body bag with him. He had a light green t-shirt in his backpack, so he could also have changed clothes. He has clearly visible skin irritation at his wrists.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/bfnNoYf
We assume that the following items were stored in the backpack or in the bag:
Mobile phone Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro+ 5G (black cover), mobile phone Samsung Z flip (light blue cover), Jack Wolfskin wash bag (brown checked patterns), phone charger, Samsung Earbuds, Passport, black leather wallet, black Zara slides, Samsung Galaxy tablet
In case you have seen him or have any information about where he was or is located, please contact me. In case he is with you, please ask him to contact his family and his girlfriend, as they are very worried. As there were heavy rains and even some evacuations in the Kanagawa prefecture, this makes us worry even more.
In case you found any of his belongings and delivered them to a lost and found office, please let me know.
In case you have any helpful information, please do also contact Higashiyama police office in Kyoto (Tel. +81-75-525-0110), where a missing person’s report was made, especially in case you have witnessed any crime, accident or dangerous situation he was involved in.
What happened after his disappearance:
His girlfriend was searching him in and around Odawara station after he walked away. They were exchanging some messages via Signal messenger in the afternoon / evening after he disappeared, which were submitted with some delay. They were using a mobile Wifi-device, which his girlfriend had with her, so Pascal had no permanent internet access, maybe using public Wifi, and probably was unable to navigate. She assumed that Pascal was already making his way to Kyoto on his own, so she bought a ticket for a Shinkansen which left Odawara with major delay due to heavy rain. His girlfriend arrived at approx 9 p.m. at the hotel in Kyoto, but Pascal had not shown up. In a voice message at 0:02 a.m. Pascal mentioned that he had an encounter with some police officers. In his last voice message at 3:37 a.m. to his girlfriend he told that he woke up somewhere, has no idea where he is, is now in a coin laundry (probably for seeking shelter as it was cold outside) and could not find his glasses.
All messages, which were sent via Signal messenger and WhatsApp by his girlfriend and family members after his last message, have not been submitted until now. His phone seems to be switched off or ran out of battery. Not contacting any of his family members is quite untypical, as he normally keeps close contact to his beloved ones, even when he is doing unwell. He never mentioned any plans whishing to disappear or start a new life leaving everything behind him.
His girlfriend reported him missing at Gion Police box in Kyoto in the evening of August 28, an English speaking police officer told her that they would call other police stations in other prefectures and ask whether they met him and would keep her updated in case there would be any news. They also gave her an advice to report him missing at the German Consulate General in Osaka, what she did in the morning of August 29. The consulate phoned the police in Odawara and hospitals in Odawara, without any success.
On August 30, his girlfriend again went to Gion Police box in Kyoto, inquiring if there were any news. There were different officers onsite, none of them speaking any English, they used a translation device. They had not heard about any report of a missing tourist, and let her know that official missing person’s reports cannot be done at this police box, and it should be done at Higashiyama police office in Kyoto. So she made the report there, but did not receive any proof or reference number.
His girlfriend continued travelling the itinerary both had agreed on, hoping that Pascal would join her again at some point of time. She took the flight home on 4th September, with an empty seat next to her. We had some hope that Pascal would eventually return for the flight home. The family has now made a missing person’s report in Germany, the officers in charge take this case very seriously.
This is no scam! We do not ask for any money. Any note, any trace which helps us finding Pascal is appreciated.
Thank you for sharing this with other travelers and communities.
by HelpfindingPascal
