German Tourist Missing in Wakayama; Passport, Wristwatch Left in Public Restroom

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:22 JST, October 23, 2024

A German university student who was staying in Wakayama has been missing since Oct. 10, according to the Wakayama Prefectural Police. The police believe that the student, 21-year-old Claudio Worm, may have been involved in an incident or accident and are calling on the public for information.

The police said Worm came to Japan on Sept. 21 for sightseeing and stayed in Wakayama from Sept. 30 to Oct. 10. He last communicated with his mother on social media at around 5 a.m. on Oct. 10 and has not been heard from since. One of Worm’s acquaintances contacted the prefectural police on Oct. 16 to report that he had not returned to Germany in time for the start of school.

While searching for his whereabouts, the police spotted a person believed to be Worm on a security camera near the Nankai Electric Railway’s Wakayamashi Station on the night of Oct. 11. His passport and wristwatch were found in a public restroom near Kinokawa River in the city.

Worm is 172 centimeters tall and of medium build. He was carrying a black backpack.

Anyone with information about Worm is asked to call the Wakayama Prefectural Police personal safety division (073-423-0110) or Wakayama Nishi Police Station (073-424-0110).