Synopsis

In 2000, Lucie Blackman, a 21-year-old former British Airways flight attendant, arrived in Tokyo in search of adventure. Like many British 20-somethings, Lucie planned to experience a different culture and way of life. She got a job as a hostess in a hostess bar, a unique piece of Japanese nightlife based on the country's old geisha customs. But, after only a couple of months, Lucie vanished... Lucie's father Tim and sister Sophie help to lead the search for her. Could Lucie's job in the mysterious Japanese nightlife hold the answers for her disappearance...? American journalist Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice on which the HBO series is based, is a major contributor to Vanished: The Lucie Blackman Mystery as he worked closely with Lucie's father Tim Blackman on the search for her. EPISODE 1 In 2000 Lucie Blackman, a 21-year-old former British Airways flight attendant, arrived in Tokyo in search of adventure. Like many other British 20-somethings, Lucie planned to spend some time living in Japan to experience a different culture and way of life. She got a job as a hostess in a hostess bar, a unique piece of Japanese life based on the country's old geisha culture. Some Japanese men would visit the clubs after work to unwind and hostesses would pour the men drinks, chat to them about their day and sometimes sing karaoke with them. The job was well paid and appealed to young western travellers who could earn good money that allowed them to pay for their lives in such an expensive city and save for further travels. Lucie was enjoying her role and making new friends. Hostessing also allowed the hostesses to go on Dohan dates, companionship dates, before taking the men back to the bars for more drinks. After only a couple of months in Tokyo, Lucie left to go on a Dohan date with a mysterious man. But she didn't return to the club or her home in the city. Lucie had vanished... EPISODE 2 Lucie's father Tim and sister Sophie travelled from the UK to help lead the search for her. Tim liaises with the Press in a bid to keep the news of Lucie's disappearance at the top of the news agenda. Will this help the family and the police find Lucie? Could Lucie's job in the world of hostessing hold the answers for her disappearance? And who is the mysterious man who went on the Dohan date with Lucie?