In Japan, the phenomenon of „evaporated people“ or johatsu, is a troubling trend where individuals choose to leave behind their formal identities and disappear from society. This act is often driven by feelings of shame from a lost job, failed marriage, or mounting debt. According to a recently-published book titled „The Vanished: The ‚Evaporated People‘ of Japan in Stories and Photographs“ by French author-photographer pair Léna Mauger and Stéphane Remael, more than 100,000 people reportedly „disappear“ annually in Japan.
Mauger and Remael spent five years traveling around Japan starting in 2008, gathering stories from those who have chosen to live off-the-grid. They discovered that these individuals opt to change their names, addresses, and business ties, essentially wiping the slate clean in an administrative disappearance. Similar to those in the Witness Protection Program in the US, johatsu can easily escape the public eye in Japan due to the country’s privacy laws that allow citizens to keep their whereabouts under wraps.
The pressure to save face in Japanese society plays a significant role in driving individuals to disappear. Mauger explained in an interview with The New York Post that the taboo nature of discussing such disappearances leads people to seek refuge in a hidden society beneath the surface of Japan. This underground world provides a way for individuals to start anew and survive away from the pressures of mainstream society.
The origins of johatsu cases can be traced back to the late 1960s, with a notable increase in the 1970s as young, rural-bred workers sought to escape harsh jobs in big cities. During the 1990s, a surge in „night movers“ emerged, individuals tasked with relocating johatsu to undisclosed locations under the cover of darkness. This period marked a booming time for disappearances as the economy had just crashed, prompting many to seek a way out.
Mauger and Remael also shed light on the impact of johatsu on the loved ones left behind. Families of johatsu often express a desire to hear from the missing person, emphasizing that they are willing to provide support and assistance if needed. The pressure to save face in Japanese society extends beyond disappearances, with phenomena like karoshi, or death by overwork, highlighting the extreme work culture in the country.
Despite efforts by the Japanese government to address issues like karoshi, many individuals still feel the need to escape the pressures of work and society altogether. For some, disappearing as johatsu offers a way to break free from societal expectations and start fresh. The complex interplay of shame, privacy laws, and societal pressures in Japan continues to shape the phenomenon of evaporated people, shedding light on the hidden struggles within the country’s culture.