In Japan, literally thousands of people choose to abandon their current lives – due to family strain, work pressure or any other reason. So-called ‘night moving’ companies help them disappear without a trace and start a new life somewhere else. Loved ones can be left searching for answers. Around 80,000 people vanish every year in Japan. While the leading cause for disappearances is reportedly health related such as dementia.  The Japanese word for that is jouhatsu which translates to evaporation, disappearing without leaving any trace. It describes people cutting ties with their old lives, often vanishing from one day to another without letting a single person know.

Disappearance of people in Japan can range from failing an exam to losing a job and its subsequent compromised financial security. This relates to Japanese work culture that expects people to work long hours and be constantly productive, sometimes even up until the point of death from overwork, which is called karoshi. In Japan, failure comes with deep shame. Shame, guilt, disappointment, and pain. Very few people can get over it, while others give in and continue to live miserably. Many even say goodbye to the world, failing to bear the unbearable pressure. They just cannot find any ways or reasons to resume their journey of life.