TLDR: I was arrested in Tokyo after a misunderstanding involving a Japanese man and the Tokyo police. There were many complications with my release, simply due to me being a tourist, which eventually lead to me spending 6 days in a Japanese jail cell. The time I spent in there and the process of bailing me out was emotionally damaging, drawn out, and incredibly expensive. In total it’s left me with a personal debt of a little over $13,000. This includes legal fees, the settlement, and re-scheduled travel expenses. I’m asking for your guys’ help in alleviating this debt, with absolutely 0 expectations. Longer explanation below; thank you everyone.

On Oct 26th, I traveled to Tokyo with my brother and our close friends in music, our return flight back to NY was scheduled for Nov 7th. The first 5 days we spent there were awesome - it was many people’s first time in Japan, and we were just enjoying being tourists. There were many mutual friends from NY who happened to be in Tokyo at that time too, and the vibe was super fun.

Halloween night we all went out to the most busy part of Tokyo. It was extremely crowded, rowdy — it was hands down the busiest place I’d ever been, including anywhere in NY. There were cops on every corner, and the atmosphere was already very tense. Legally, I can’t go into any further detail about the exact events that lead to my arrest — that’s part of the settlement that me & the plaintiff agreed to. What I can tell you is that what came out of it was grossly disproportionate to the event itself, complicated beyond belief just by virtue of me being a tourist.

People I’ve talked to about my experience have all said the same thing: Japanese police do not f*ck around. They’re notoriously strict, and the legal system in Japan reflects that as well. They do not tolerate misdemeanors from tourists at all, and no breaks are given no matter what country you’re from — in my case, the U.S. The night I was arrested, there was another American - a girl in a Sailor Moon costume - who was also arrested & detained because she kneed a Japanese guy in the crotch over a cigarette. So that's the kind of things they were cracking down on that night.

Because of all this, I ended up spending 6 days in a Japanese jail cell. I was separated from my group, not allowed to contact anyone (no “1 phone call” like in the States), I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t know my rights. All the interrogations, statements, all my explanations, and even most basic communication I all had to do through Google translate on the officer's phones. You can imagine how frustrating this would be.

I was faced with up to 20-40 days in jail, and that reality loomed over me every day I was in there. Thank God I had traveled with my brother. He was resourceful enough to hire a lawyer for me who eventually coordinated my release. I don’t know how he did it with everything else we had planned for that trip. He carried hard, as did my parents & family friends, and without their efforts I would 100% still be in jail — possibly until next year.

Being in jail in a foreign country, not knowing when I’d be released, and off the grounds I was arrested for, was emotionally draining and damaging. I’d never been to jail before, never been arrested before, and had no idea what to expect. Let me just tell you guys, it wasn’t f*cking fun. As of the day I'm posting this, I’ve only been free for a week; and while the shock has begun to wear off, the trauma is definitely still there. Can’t repress this one.

I’m happy to report that I’m writing this from New York, where I live; I’m healthy, and I’m safe. I couldn’t be more grateful. The moment I was released and finally reunited with my brother, and all my friends, is a moment of relief that I'll never forget for the rest of my life. And even though I was arrested, I wasn’t convicted of anything, which means I can travel back to Japan/Asia freely.

But this was a huge setback personally, the most humiliating experience of my life, and now I’m faced with picking up the pieces. The process of bailing me out ended up being incredibly expensive and after everything was said and done, I’m left with a personal debt of a little over $13,000 that was not planned for. This is a difficult time for my family, financially. I never thought I’d have to do this, and especially not on these conditions, but I don’t know what else to do in this situation. I’m asking for your help - of any kind - with absolutely 0 expectations.

A donation, a share: anything to bring awareness to my situation is greatly appreciated. I don't know what else to say, thank you guys so much for reading or caring, and if you plan on traveling to Japan during Halloween, don’t go to S*****a.