I was arrested in Japan after only being there for 42 hours. I thought I was there for a wedding, turns out my traveling companion had other plans.

My travel companion had decided it would be a ‘fantastic idea’ to mail drugs to our hotel room (without my knowledge). When I got the call from the front desk that there was ‘luggage’ for us at the front desk, I assumed he had forgotten something downstairs. I was unaware of what was going on when he instead brought up a small envelope package. He opened it immediately, and it included drugs (I won't go into specifics, but let's just say they were the bad kind).

Five minutes later 10 Japanese police officers burst into the room and went through all our luggage, took our passports and put us both in handcuffs. The entire time I had a horrified look on my face, and kept saying ‘What is going on??’. No one answered me. *Interesting side note: when they plopped me down in front of an investigator who spoke English (while I was handcuffed to the chair), she asked if I had any questions for her. My brain was in such a state of shock all I could think to ask was “Do you think I'll miss the wedding?” She answered “Yes, I think you will”. Then I started crying.

I was unable to contact any family or friends after being arrested. This is applied to everyone, no matter what the charge.

Then began the worst travel experience of my life. And it lasted for 35 days. I will make a long story short in saying that it took 35 days, 2 high powered lawyers from Tokyo and becoming semi-fluent in Japanese to be released without charge. The same cannot be said for my traveling companion, who ended up in jail for much, much longer.

The biggest takeaway here (this should be a no-brainer, but just in case!): never, EVER EVER bring, or smuggle, or mail, or otherwise bring drugs into a foreign country!!! Research the country you are going to be visiting!!

Although I had nothing to do with this case of smuggling, it still took a very long time for me to prove I was innocent. And believe you me, they left absolutely no stone unturned in their investigation. Japan has a 99.5% conviction rate. The fact that I was released without charge further proved my innocence.

I lost 25 lbs, and when I returned home I lost most of my hair from the sudden weight loss and stress.

I have not let this hinder my love of travel though! Not even a year after the incident, I went back to Japan (without the companion) to explore what I did not get to experience the first time. I will keep traveling till the day I die, and I will tell this story to my grandchildren, along with all the other amazing stories I have collected along the way :)

Here is a picture of me enjoying tea ceremony at Hikone castle near Osaka (with no thoughts of the jail cell I spent so much time in)

Edit: this is my most prized document, received from my lawyers after I returned home - my Notice of non-prosecution! I started planning my return trip to Japan the day I received this.

Edit #2/Update: So many many thanks to Graham Healey for his wonderful translation of my document above - my first translation was a badly computer generated version.

Chiba District Prosecutor’s Office Number 2

Notice of Non-prosecution

9 January 2014

[To] Ms Krysta Lee Storer

[From] Public Prosecutor [name removed], Office of Public Prosecutions, Chiba District

At the request of Defence Attorney [name removed], I [hereby] notify you as follows:

With regard to the matter of your having been detained on suspicion of (a) infringement of the Law Relating to Special Cases Under the Control of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs Law Aimed at the Prevention of Actions Abetting Illegal Actions relating to Controlled Drugs under International Cooperation, (b) infringement of the Cannabis Control Law, (c) infringement of the Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs Control Law and (d) infringement of the Tax Law, I disposed of this matter on 25 December 2013 with a decision not to initiate a prosecution because of insufficient evidence.

I was released on Christmas Day, 2013. Best Christmas Ever.

If you are interested in reading more about my experience in jail, please see my Quora space: Krysta’s Misadventures. Thank you for reading!