Amanda Borges da Silva: Brazilian woman found dead in Japan with 'burn marks' on body hours before flight home

Amanda Borges da Silva, was found dead in an apartment near Narita International Airport in Japan on Thursday night (May 1), according to reporting by Brazilian news outlet Brasil em Folhas.

Amanda, a linguistics researcher from Caldazinha, Goiás, had recently completed a master’s degree in Linguistics and held a degree in Literature. She had been travelling through Asia and had arrived in Japan in April to attend the Suzuka Grand Prix, a major Formula 1 race.

Her death was confirmed by the Goiás state government and Brazil’s Itamaraty (Foreign Ministry), who said they are assisting her family during this time.

According to the outlet, a close friend said Amanda was discovered with burn marks on her body and that some of her personal items were missing. A bag containing documents was left at the scene, which helped authorities quickly confirm her identity.

Amanda had been scheduled to fly back to Brazil on the same night her body was found. She reportedly stopped responding to her boyfriend’s messages about two hours before her departure. After she failed to board the flight, her boyfriend contacted her family and alerted authorities. Japanese police later located her body using her phone’s last known location.

On April 25, Amanda posted what would become her final update to Instagram. The post included a series of pictures and videos showing her enjoying her travels across Japan. In the caption, she wrote: “Thank you Lord! For taking such good care of me and allowing me to live special moments. In love with this country!”

Her first update after arriving in Japan was posted approximately two weeks ago, where she shared pictures and videos from the Formula 1 race, along with what appears to be a view from an apartment. The caption read: “I love Japan!”

The circumstances of her death remain under investigation by Japanese police, with oversight and monitoring from Brazilian officials. The Caldazinha City Hall released a statement following her death, calling Amanda “a young woman full of dreams, loved by everyone.”