A woman who spent time in a Japanese prison after trying to obtain ketamine has shared her unexpected experience.
Izabel Rose, from Britain, was in Tokyo when she attempted to buy $200 worth of the drug. However, her order was intercepted by Japanese customs.
The 26-year-old was subsequently detained in her hotel and spent five months in a detention center in Osaka while awaiting trial.
While many might describe such an ordeal as nightmarish, Izabel, known as Izzy, found the experience to be healing.
Izzy has battled drug addiction for a long time and felt “reborn” after her release from prison.
She reflected: “It was healing. I needed that time away from my surroundings. I needed the kick up the bum. I had to face the consequences of my actions and I am really glad that I did.”
Struggling with her addiction in London, Izzy thought a change to Tokyo might help, but she soon faced withdrawal symptoms.
She elaborated: “It became very normalised to me. I wasn’t aware that I was an addict, I just thought it was what everyone did.
“I knew I was on a dark path, and I didn’t want to be in London because I would continue using ketamine.
“Obviously addiction doesn’t understand geography so as soon as I landed in Japan, I was on the phone to my friend looking for drugs.”
A friend suggested sending ketamine to her upcoming hotel in Osaka, but the plan was thwarted by customs.
Izzy anticipated a lengthy prison sentence but was instead given a four-year suspended sentence and returned home.
Recalling her incarceration, Izzy described it as both isolating and transformative: “It was very isolating. I describe it as the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to me, but the best thing that has ever happened to me.
“I had never known discipline, structure, and routine like it. They rip all humanity from you. I didn’t see sunlight and I had no fresh air.
“I really did feel like I was an outsider. I was very privileged, so going into that environment was a shock to the system.”
Since her release in September 2025, Izzy has relied on support groups and is advocating for more education about the dangers of drug abuse.
She continued: “I want to see what we can do in this country to help people like myself. We are facing a crisis here in the UK. This is worse than the heroin epidemic and we need more education around it.
“Addiction does not care who you are. It can creep up on you and it is not something to be ashamed about at all. It is something we should have open conversations about.”