AROUND 80,000 PEOPLE GO MISSING ANNUALLY IN JAPAN

Every year, around 80,000 people in Japan vanish, a phenomenon known as Johatsu, or “the evaporated.” Driven by financial struggles, family conflicts, or work pressure,

they choose to disappear and start fresh elsewhere, often to escape debt, troubled relationships, or the shame of failure. 

Some seek help from night-moving services—specialized companies that secretly relocate them, erase their digital footprints, and help them avoid detection. 

While many disappearances are voluntary, Johatsu highlights deeper social and economic issues in Japan, where the pressure to conform often leaves people feeling that vanishing is their only option.