Have you ever thought about vanishing one day, leaving all your worries behind, and starting over? That seems to be more than just a fantasy for many in Japan. Apparently, there are people working off the grid to help nearly 100,000 people realize their goal of disappearing. They’re referred to as Jouhatsu, which translates into “evaporated people” and it’s become so common that cottage industries are popping up in order to move people in the dead of night.
As for what motivates people to just up and leave, the reasons seem to center around the inability to cope with financial stress. Some people reportedly disappear due to the rising cost of living, while others do it to escape the shame of things like bankruptcy. What’s more, Jouhatsu seems to have started in the 1960s where it had more to do with people avoiding the shame of divorce.
Source: Lad Bible