Know all about this phenomenon from Japan, where people just ‘evaporate'

Indian Express

3 days ago

In a country renowned for its order, punctuality, and strong sense of societal obligation, the idea of people deliberately disappearing without a trace sounds like a script from a thriller. However, in Japan, this phenomenon has a name: Johatsu (蒸発), meaning 'evaporated people.'
Far from being mere myth or urban legend, Johatsu represents a complex socio-cultural phenomenon involving people who intentionally vanish from their lives — leaving behind families, jobs, and identities — to escape debt, shame, abuse, or simply to start anew. The term first emerged in post-war Japan and continues to baffle and intrigue sociologists, journalists, and the global public alike.
In Japanese, Johatsu literally means 'evaporation,' originally used to describe people who disappeared during the chaotic post-World War II years. Today, it refers to those who voluntarily vanish from society, often leaving little to no trace.
According to The Japan Times, the term gained traction during Japan's economic crises in the 1960s and 1990s, when people burdened with shame — from bankruptcy, job loss, or divorce — opted to vanish rather than face social judgment.
A report from the Chinese state news agency Xinhua found that in 2022 alone, Japan recorded 84,910 missing person cases, marking a second consecutive year of increase.
Johatsu is deeply rooted in Japan's collectivist culture — where personal failures are often internalised as disgraceful not just for the individual, but for the family. People may choose disappearance over confrontation for a variety of reasons:
Unlike in the West, where going off the grid may be a rebellious or spiritual act, Johatsu in Japan is more about silently opting out — a protest against a society that often equates failure with shame.
In a country with one of the world's most advanced surveillance and ID systems, you might wonder: How do people just vanish? Enter Japan's 'yonige-ya' or 'night moving companies.'
These discreet services specialise in helping clients disappear overnight, transporting them and their belongings under the cover of darkness. They don't ask questions, and they operate within a legal grey area.
According to a 2017 article by TIME, such companies charge anywhere between ¥50,000 to ¥300,000 (approx. $400–$2,500), depending on the complexity of the case. Mind you, this was before the pandemic.
In some instances, Johatsu individuals resurface in Sanya (Tokyo) or Kamagasaki (Osaka) — known as 'liberated zones' where IDs aren't strictly checked and day-labour jobs can be secured without background scrutiny.
According to Leo Rubinfien's photographic project 'Wounded Cities', and Léna Mauger & Stéphane Remael's book 'The Vanished: The Evaporated People of Japan', it's estimated that as many as 100,000 people a year attempt some form of social disappearance in Japan
Some Johatsu eventually return home, years later, often to find that their absence was quietly absorbed into family shame or silence. Others live out their lives in anonymity.
But the stigma remains. Even family members often choose not to search, fearing embarrassment or disgrace. The Japanese term 'murahachibu' (村八分) — meaning social ostracisation — still carries emotional weight in rural and urban communities alike.
In understanding Johatsu, we aren't just peeking into Japanese culture — we're confronting the universal human need for escape, dignity, and sometimes… disappearance.