Did you know “disappearing” is a business in Japan?
They’re called yonigeya, or “night movers.” These are companies paid to help people vanish in silence. No fights, no goodbyes. Just an empty room by morning.
The reasons are heavy: abusive homes, crushing debt, shame, or the pressure to live up to expectations. Some even ask for new identities or a one-way ticket to somewhere they’ll never be found.
This act of disappearing is called johatsu, which means “evaporation.” Many end up in places like Kamagasaki, where nobody asks about the past.
It’s estimated that more than 100,000 people choose this path every year.
In Japan, vanishing isn’t always a mystery. Sometimes it’s a service.
