At some point, we may have dreamed of disappearing and escaping the problems of life. For most of us, it is a mere fantasy, but in Japan, this problem is real and is called Johatsu (蒸発). We are not talking about suicide; the word johatsu can be literally translated as evaporation. This indicates that the person simply disappears without leaving traces or clues.
One of the great culprits for johatsu is shame. Some often disappear after losing their job, having a failed marriage, or having a big debt. Many Japanese people leave their old identities and start a life from scratch invisibly in Japan.
Table of Contents
How and why do they disappear?
The johatsu is an alternative for those who cannot face failure and shame but do not want to take their own lives. There are a variety of reasons behind these disappearances, such as a child who fails a school exam and does not want to face their parents, or perhaps a husband who wastes too much money on gambling and ends up in debt.
It's not kidnapping or suicide! Almost 100 thousand Japanese simply disappear every year without leaving a trace. Some reappear after a while, others are just isolated at home like hikikomori, and some are living their normal lives but without showing their presence in society. This practice was more common when Japan faced economic problems in the 90s, but it still happens today.
These people just disappear and are not usually found because Japan's privacy law helps with that. The person can simply not their address at the city hall, since tracking bank and card movements is possible only in criminal cases. The families of the evaporate do not have full to find him.
Where are the johatsu?
Journalists and researchers investigate these people who have disappeared from society. It is possible to find them living in rural communities, Sanya located on the outskirts of Tokyo and Kamagasaki in Osaka. These neighborhoods do not require identities since they are istered by the Yakuza. Some johatsu work for the Yakuza, allowing them to receive their money without worrying about financial documents that could reveal the person's location.
The practice of disappearing is ancient in Japan. There is even a Japanese movie called ningen johatsu (人間蒸発) released in 1967 and several books on the subject. It is not known all the reasons that lead a person to want to disappear from the map, abandon their family, and start a new life. Even relatives cannot say when such a case happens. And you? Have you known someone who simply disappeared or evaporated? What do you think about this subject? We hope to see your comment below!
