Thousands of Japanese People Disappear Every Year—By Choice

Every year, approximately thousands of Japanese people voluntarily disappear to forget their past and start a new life. Men, women, and entire families try to start a new life in secret, under different identities.

These people willingly abandon their families, homes, and identities and attempt to start a new life by hiding their identities.

Every year, between 80,000 and 100,000 people disappear in Japan. Not all of them are johatsu, but it has become an open secret in society, as it is an alarming issue and many studies have been run on this issue.

What is Johatsu?

The Japanese term, Johatsu (無料) means “evaporation.” But in Japan, it describes something even more surprising because people are deliberately erasing themselves from existence. There is no dramatic farewell or suicide note. They simply disappear like a fog in the morning.

Lena Mauger, a French journalist, investigated the Johatsu case. She estimated that approximately 100,000 people disappear in Japan each year. Many suffer for different reasons, such as depression, addiction, or divorce. Still, there are some others who constantly face the shame of bankruptcy. Therefore, for some, the thought of finding a loved one after that depression or disappointment is unbearable.

A Story of Disappearing

There’s a story of a disappearing man. There’s a man named Norihiro. He was fired from his engineering job. However, after he lost the job, out of shame, he didn’t want to tell his family.

Every morning, he used to put on a shirt and tie and then said goodbye to his wife, and pretend like he was heading to the office. With no other options, he spent his days in his car, sometimes staying up late, pretending to drink with colleagues.

The days pass, and he no longer receives any salary. But he can no longer lie to his loved ones either. So, rather than face this terrible situation, he decided to disappear without a trace.

Norihiro is a juhatsu, one of many unidentifiable people who, out of shame or dishonor, decide to leave and abandon their family out of a disgraceful situation.

Why do the people of Japan disappear?

The rise of juhatsu in Japan is driven by several factors, the most important of which is economic.

Furthermore, some people may be seeking to escape abusive partners. Or, some people want to escape because of the pressures and restrictions of daily life, religious sects, or oppressive employers, or simply yearn for independence.

Moreover, academic failure is also a factor affecting young people, those who are unable to cope with the bullying and competitive pressures that exist from a very young age.

There is a Japanese proverb that says, “The nail that sticks out is the hammer.” This implies that deviance and marginalization are difficult to accept and that conformity and social harmony should take priority over freedom and self-expression. This creates social pressure that can become unbearable for some, and this may explain the emergence of this phenomenon.

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