I've felt like disappearing so many times. Most people won't notice you until you're no longer there. The world is so harsh. I hope the people who've decided to go through with it are in a better place now.
I live in Japan. My neighbour disappeared about 10 years ago. She left her husband and two young daughters. She was a very good neighbour and decent person. It was shocking and difficult to get my head around. Nobody has ever heard from her or knows where she went. Her daughters have grown up now, and I feel sad that she never saw that.
Happens all the time, woman leaves family and reunites with a former lover. Don't be fooled by the picture perfect family. I also once heard a man left his family to be with a gay lover.
I met my partner in 2017 and that was when I left my original home where I lived with my toxic mother and abusive brother. I never left a note and I bet they did not bother filing a missing person report because they never cared about my existence, only my money. Sometimes, people leave their homes not because they are delinquent, but because of their abusive families.
I would say often or mostly due to abuse, not sometimes. People don't just leave on a whim, it's self-protection, not a game. And contrary to the narrative the video is giving, it's rarely "mental illness".
Can't blame them. With a very cruel world we live in where a person's value depends on what he/she can provide for others instead of their good character, anyone treated badly, neglected, disrespected or unrequited would choose to do same and choose peace of mind.
I know what you mean ... However one's values and character should be of value mainly to oneself not as an exchangeable badge of honor. Yes it can be hard to have respectable values and provide value for the society The wrong and regrettable thing is not that society doesn't value us for who we are, but that we value ourselves by what society thinks of us.
While I respect the spirit of what you say, lets get real. We are organisms first. We must do what all ither organisms must do: surivive. We are not in a cruel world, we are in the workd. The one and only world we have. Being alive, moving, thinking, and feeling have a cost. That is true for anything and we as humans are the most blessed to deal with those costs. So no, I do not believe the world is cruel. It just is what it is. Accepting that and working with it leads to salvation.
I am amazed that human trafficking isn't a factor. This situation seems quite conducive to a human trafficking operation - especially police indifference.
@@IamHandsome4unot true at all. Many young girls and boys are sexually trafficked from the Philippines and surrounding islands into the Japanese prostitution and sex clubs. It’s more catered to tourist, the locals think it’s obscene
I let myself get pressured into a life I never wanted. A corporate job where I stick out like a sore thumb, a degree I never caree about, a house that consumes all my energy to upkeep. I understand wanting to disappear and start over, this time living FOR MYSELF.
@@rdallas81 I wasn't actually talking about sins but rather external circumstances that you can't control that is dictating your life. Like having traumatic pasts that feels like you are still living in
As someone who grew up in a narcissistic family dynamic I understand people wanting to disappear I know that is how I currently feel! I just sick and tired and they will never change so I'm over them.
Truly is soul crushing living under those conditions! A single person should always leave. But if you make kids, you can’t leave them hi and dry! You have to take them or stay and get help! When we make offspring, its our responsibility to raise them and protect them!
Those laws can easily be exploited though. Who's to say a percentage of those 90 or so thousands that go disappearing each year are from human trafficking? That woman's note to her family at the beginning of the video could've been written from her own self, or possibly coherced by a third party so that her disappearance wouldn't be suspicious.
@@johnnypr-nyc8851 You’re allowed to break data protection if you suspect criminality. Think the actual wording is something like ‘for the detection of crime.’
There is a phrase that I think exists all over the Earth, in all countries. "How many children were destroyed because of what the neighbor will say? " That is, how many people were pressured, they trivialized themselves and their dreams so that those around them would not say something negative. When I read comments asking for respect and demanding it I feel sad. Respect is earned and not defined by age.
One big problem in Japan is the lack of fight. Even when things go bad for a significant portion of the population, they'd rather put up with it than protest, which not only means that the government isn't pressured into changing things, but the issues themselves don't get the attention they deserve until years later.
@@matthewlevine7892 It’s been said that Japanese people in the contemporary era are more apathetic when it comes to matters that should raise concerns, as compared to their peer nations. Hence, there’s an attitude of “gambaremasu” - I’ll just try my best/harder. Instead of addressing societal problems head on things can be swept under the proverbial rug until it reaches its peak. (Reactive in many ways rather than proactive). However, to give Japan some credit there are individuals and smaller ran organisations that do try to alleviate and address some of the societal issues at a local community/grass roots level. No one is more aware of Japan’s societal issues than Japanese people themselves. Yet, cultural shifts rarely happen over night. Like any nation in our world and its issues, a Japan-specific solution spurred by Japanese people will be the most affective solution. I assume that’s what the original commenter meant by “lack of fight”. YT is an international space and everyone does not have the same command of the English language, so I tried to read into what was written. Peace. 😇
@@matthewlevine7892 Instead of just throwing out an accusation that someone's making something up, you could try asking a more focused question about why you don't believe something that was written. The fact that the original comment immediately follows up the term "lack of fight" with a description of what that looks like makes your response seem lazy and not to be taken seriously. Clearly something about that description was lacking for you. Just what was it?
@@CornyBum thanks. I disagree w the original post and don't see any evidence, anywhere for what he / she said. your approach seems to be that: if someone says something, then it should be accepted as a fact. I should then ask a focused question to a stranger on the internet about a baseless statement that he / she made. I disagree.
I "disappeared" to Asia from the US over 10 years ago, but my friends and family had the luxury of knowing about it, although it's unfortunate to say that my family wasn't a healthy environment. To give an idea, I ran away twice when I was a kid...so it wasn't difficult for me to leave. Quite the opposite, it pushed me to want to leave for many years. That all said, Japan seems to be a place conducive to either finding yourself...or losing yourself.
There’s a book by Frank Ahearn (a former skip tracer and private eye) called How To Disappear. Some of the advice on there is outdated but a lot is still useful. In the book you learn that some people need to disappear like someone who has a violent stalker, or someone trying to hide from an abusive spouse or getting away from a toxic environment or people like family. It’s ok to disappear for the right reasons and there are resources out there to help. His book is a great start.
I would like to disappear too as I am a loner by nature. But going off to some foreign country would only make me stick out even more - the complete opposite of what I would want… Lol.
Japan has so many rules and pressures to work crazy hours, and you can’t break any of these rules without dishonoring someone or being considered abnormal then you have to put up with the label. Few if any safe or soft places to land.
Many people disappear because they do not want to be bothered with their families. If someone leaves on their own accord and they are an adult, they should be left alone.
I've wished to leave almost my entire life as this point. Had it been up to me, I'd be with a girl in a completely different state or country. My father has always been such an overwhelming presence that I've always wanted to get away. I know that he cares but it's been hard riding out his issues. People disappear because they simply want to start over, without the shackles that bind them. Call it selfish all you want, but that's the feeling we get. I call it "A social suicide".
When we disappear we leave our family, friends and previous life behind. But we take ourselves, and the baggage of our anxieties, depression and outlook on the world. These are MUCH more difficult to run away from. Spending 30 years sleeping in a tent on the city pavements is not a good result. Try therapy first. Try disappearing your anxieties and depression and being kinder to yourself. Lots of love and kindness to everyone who reads this and may we all remember to be a little kinder to one another. Greetings from the UK.
Indifference - is the underlying theme and the gist of Japanese society. No, not politeness, not social distance, not regard for privacy. It's Indifference.
Japanese culture is definitely fascinating and unique. There is much to admire and appreciate, but also much that is just hard to understand and relate to. They have an admirable work ethic but different concepts of shame and honor. Keep in mind that Japan is a very homogeneous and insular society. It is not the most open to outsiders or differing opinions, and it seems there is a lot of pressure on conformity and not bringing shame to yourself or family. I imagine it is hard for those who feel like they can’t live up to those standards. My dad worked for Ford and there was a close partnership with Mazda in the 80s, and many businesses trips. He said it took some getting used to working with their Japanese counterparts, and the cultural differences were many.
You're reading too much into it. Most people who "disappear" are quickly found or return on their own volition, as stated clearly at the beginning of the video.
Aren't the Japanese " dying" as an ethnic group? The extremely low birth rate and little immigration. Are predictions of no Japanese in the future true?
Asian families have such unrealistic expectations, it's hard to live up to. I feel judged by everyone in my family just for having a normal job. I am triggered every time I talk to my parents, I can relate to these people who just want to vanish ♥
I can't believe I've never heard of this 90,000 every year?? I heard of the Japanese woman who came to Canada to "disappear" but 90,000? Wow this is shockingly sad.
As seen in the Johnny's issue, Japan's major TV stations are ignoring this kind of dark side of Japan by not covering it. Over the past 30 years, the "spirit of giving an inch" and "spirit of helping each other" has faded away. In the past, it was normal to giving way when passing each other on crowded streets. Nowadays, people are so busy protecting themselves from the stresses of school, work, and family that they have no time to think about others. Companies has prioritized cutting labor costs, and the number of non-regular workers have increased, widening the gap between regular and non-regular workers. As a result, employees at companies have come to prioritize their own self-preservation over helping each other. And children grow up seeing such behavior. As the nuclear family became more prevalent, local communities diminished and families became more individualistic. Politicians are happy as long as they get elected, and bureaucrats have no qualms about raising taxes as long as their paychecks are protected. As reported in the news, Japan is a society intolerant of failure. Once you leave a company or organization, it is often difficult to find a job again. It is my hope that Japanese society will once again remember the spirit of mutual aid and move toward a society that forgives failure.
for all of the fascination with Japanese culture, food, and customs, this phenomenon and the extent of suicides (like the suicide forests) shows that things aren't as light and happy as it would seem in their cultural exports.
That is why Japan is so special . Extremely strange about everything . Definitely there is way more than 90 thousand a year . Most common with the husbands and wives the way their divorce is just like that , without saying anything for a long time till one day a wife or husband just disappear from a house . There is a nice old pop song by Aneka " Japanese Boy " . The lyrics are so true . Still , Japan is my one of the most favourite country in every aspect .
Japanese society for all its advancements seems stressful between the high suicide rates, people evaporating or those withdrawing from society to live a s hermits the government really needs to do something.
This is more of a societal and cultural issue than a political one. Though I do agree that the government can start to really enforce and encourage open mindedness and accepting attitudes and more info on mental health and the such. They have advanced technologically but at the level the world is right now they are decades behind
No one disappears without a reason. And no abusive family will admit that they were abusive. They will always play the victim. That's just the way of it. Take the interviews with the families with a pinch of salt.
WITHOUT commentary on the families shown: Many people who disappear are NOT "mentally ill". Women who leave abusive husbands aren't the only ones who need to escape. Abusive parents are just as bad. And in Japan which STILL refuses to fully recognize LGBTQIA rights and give full protections, there's good reason to leave families and towns that try to force conformity on people. I left my own country many years ago, cut ties from an abusive family, and never came back. They have no info on where I am, and my country's government won't give info without perimission. I'm happy and have a good life.
@@ibbledibble It needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis, but yes, many are escaping abuse. As a different video on the topic noted, rates of Initimate Partner Violence in Japan skyrocketed during the pandemic, as it did everywhere. Some people _couldn't_ leave an abusive situation, and some were pushed into one by "society", i.e. LGBTQIA people who lost their jobs and were forced to move in with bigoted "family", left no means of escape.
Growing up my parents, foster parents and siblings made life untenable. I left them all behind for a new country, my husband and a wonderful family life. Just enjoying this and realise i just want to enjoy life like this and be anonymous. I cut all ties. I left wealth behind. But i am very happy with what i have.
I call it the 'Samurai Code" which is engrained in every Japanese. The core of this code is fear. Samurais feared defeat as they could not stand the shame of letting down their Emperor, so they killed themselves. The reason why Japanese are world famous for making high quality reliable products, is because they put their hearts & souls into making it, out of fear of rejection or disappointing the person who buys it. This puts unmeasurable pressure on the mental health of the younger generation leading to where Japan is today. If change needs to happen then Japanese society needs to embrace failure as just a learning step towards success.
This is so very sad to the families left behind. Every day must be a soul-wrenching nightmare. Mental health problems have exploded in this world and shame keeps everyone a prisoner. Prayes for the families and the ones who "evaporate".🙏
Having slept rough for a brief period (weeks not months), I would not wish this on anyone. Even couch surfers with a network of friends eventually find themselves alone and forced to face life on the streets. I was pleasantly surprised by how good and affordable the food was in Tokyo convenience stores but the thought of spending a winter on those streets is just horrifying.
… people that are happy with their lives don’t run away … people run away from toxic people and toxic environments … good for them for not staying in a sick environment to continue the cycle of abuse they get from their families …
Such a culture seems to provide the perfect hunting grounds for people with evil intent. It seems like the perfect crime to simply leave a note and nobody will take action even though the victim's clothing, ID and phone were left behind. Who would willingly do that unless they are planning on suicide? I feel so sorry for the parents in that case. Hopefully some day they will have closure.
@jahonwong7259 that may be your feelings at the time, but I'm sure there are cases where a person who never thought they'd ever leave home unexpectedly, decide to. So it's hard to rely on a statement that was made at some point. Still, I think some cases should be investigated for the reason stated above.
People do this in the US. More than 600k go missing every year, and they're not ALL murdered. It's normal to yearn for a new/different life. There are so many terrible ecosystems that tie us down and make us fail. Who wouldn't want to escape? Nobody wants to be stuck with that sense of devastation forever. The list of ways to fail is endless. The list of ways to succeed grows shorter every year. I don't blame people one bit. This is just another symptom that we still haven't created enough paths to success and acceptance. And some people literally have nothing to lose.
In such a repressive culture like Japan, people couldn't even feel supported or cared by their own family. Not that their families don't love or care about them, but such affection and care are seldom expressed. A lot of resentment and anger bottled up, and to disappear from your family, that they cannot know if you are dead or alive, can be such a revenge against their apathy.
So if they "disappear" to "start" again, do they find jobs somewhere else? Do they change their identities? New name, social security number, tax ID number? If so, how? I wouldn't assume that every one who disappears ends up becoming homeless.
People who live their loved ones like this is just plain selfish. You find peaec but leave behind bodies. I am only talking about the first girl and her parents.
Doesn't shame have a lot to do with this phenomenon? I recently read in an article about unemployment that people in countries like China, Japan and South Korea would rather fake they still have a job by going to a coffeeshop every morning (thus mimicking their routine when they were employed) than tell family and friends they have been fired from their job.
In the US people don't necessarily vanish, but often abandon their family, friends, relatives, etc. Their whereabouts aren't kept secret, they just break contact, sometimes for years. Parents and members of a family often don't see the feeling of loneliness and rejection a member of the family is experiencing. The only solution seems to be some form of escape by establishing a physical distance and ceasing communication and contact. It is usually left unspoken by the family and the one trying to escape. Young people often feel trapped, overly disciplined, and un-appreciated and either become unruly or try to escape by just leaving home, running away, as they say. If they are old enough to live independently, the separation from family easily turns into years or a lifetime.
@@upthedown1 I Know of several people who have done this. Perhaps you don't recognize it, because, as I stated, it is often left unspoken by the families and it certainly does not make the public news.
Please don't compare breaking contact to disappearing. What was the point of bringing that point to this situation. Breaking contact is everywhere in the world. Atleast parents know you are alive.
@@upthedown1latinos most of the time 😂 and then on social media post about her parents hipocrites when parents in latin america gave everything that was possible for them.
@@paulolima6407Why would you tell your loved ones where you are, when the whole point is to disappear? It defeats the whole purpose of disappearing in the first place.
Not really. It's just that the Japanese happened to be the ones who coined terms for them. The same concepts exist in many places. For instance, "karoshi" (death from overwork) is common throughout Asia.
This is the problem with group-based societies instead of individualistic societies. When a person feels they’re not productive to the group or a burden they feel the need to remove themselves. This is less of an issue in individualistic societies. This mindset has been prevalent in Japan since they had to work so much as a group throughout history to counter wars, invasions, and natural disasters.
I realized when I work and live in Japan family has a loose connection that’s why many children feel lonely. Mother doesn’t talk much to their children and father usually work until late night. Leave a child confuse and doesn’t have a shelter to hang on. If you want your child to talk about their problem why don’t you start to talk to them first and build trust?
Hi. I met 4 young and 3 mid 30's Japanese here in Dumaguete City, Philippines . They're not acquaintance with each other here but 5 of them, tell me the same answer when I ask certain questions ; Me: "Why do you preferred to live here in the Philippines?" Them: "To start a new life or adventure. Life in Philippines is more chill---not much pressure." Me: I love Anime so much, do you like Anime too??? What type or genra of anime you like Them: "Yes I love anime, it's the ISEKAI animes, and that's the one who inspired me as well to start living a new life from zero." I feel sad for their parents. 😢I'm not really sure if where is their daughter now... But those 5 people that I met here, have also the same story's that they ran away from home and start a new life here.. 3 of them are working online, 2 of them are owning a small business.. I hope they will met again.
Saw a documentary about it years ago. Japan even have an industry to help people disappear. They are just not satisfied with existing relationships and want to escape and start a new life fresh. It is a strange culture. In general, we just not contact people we don't want to hang around with anymore instead of choosing to disappear.
I feel it’s mostly about Japanese concept of honour. It involves expectations from society and family. which is either not achieved ( ‘failure’) , or achieved and brings unhappiness. Japanese society is rarely about becoming who people really want to be. Going missing is rarely a crime in any country. Those looking for their “loved ones” want them back to return to their expectations and duties! No way.
For further reading see, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", and "Culture Hacks". These books are insanely interesting and should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand Japan. Japan is VERY different culturally and socially compared to every other country and culture on Earth. It is an extreme outlier in many respects.
Sometimes, it is problems at work that cause people to disappear. Japanese society is very demanding and exacting. Not everyone can keep up with the pace of life there.
I hope we can hear one of our good friend who has disappeared 12 years ago. It’s absolutely fine if she chooses to start a new life but we’re just worried about her since couldn’t find her after 311.
I wonder how many people have left their family due to a toxic environment? Perhaps their mental health actually improves when they no longer have contact with emotionally and/or physically abusive family. For those who "disappear," are they able to create a new identity, new name, new documents? In the United States, it was once possible to do so, but with computers and mandatory fingerprinting when getting a drivers license or state ID card, that is impossible now.
Praying is not gonna solve this, what we need is to talk to each other, to go out with each other. This modern individualistic world where you were told that no one is going to help you is the reason why.
@@javierpacheco8234 exactly no body wats to talk to eachother whoes near to them but at same time chat with person far from them on Ethernet, this problem is not just limited with young ones sa goes to adults
At first I thought it was really strange. But sometimes I see a small town on TV and think, wouldn't it be nice to just start fresh with a new life, making new friends, etc. You can reinvent yourself. But, I couldn't do it. I have some really good friends and I would miss them.
Every year😮 steep materialism, nagging parents and shame leave a dint of inner emptiness among those 90,000. What profits a man if gains the world but loses his own soul?
I'm In the process of "disappearing". I get it. I'm sick of people...including my family and old friends. Social media accounts deleted, never look at email... I don't have a mobile service, so no phone calls for me. I was sick of my old self too, and people won't let you change. F people. I am who I choose to be at the moment, and I refuse to stay in the lines drawn for me.
I “disappeared” on some family and old friend and social media years ago best thing I ever did.. do what’s best for u .. I keep in touch with the family I choose to.. the others I don’t and it’s been so freeing
@@lelelum4103 I used to be very social. Travelled with Renaissance festivals and had a great time. I had a reputation as being fun and easygoing. That translates as being a doormat. I had my fill of being used. ...and the people that knew me back then assuming I'm the same person I was then...refusing to recognize decades of growth and change. Well, the old me had to "die". He doesn't exist anymore. People will just have to deal with that.
This explains, why my friend from Japan, has no interest in going back there. He's lived in the U.S., for about fifteen years. I thought he was wanted by the Japanese authorities, for some reason or other.
Japan seems to me like one of those places that is great on paper, but the reality is a lot darker. I'm not sure I could fit into the cultural mindsets in Japan, they are too different from Western cultural mindsets. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down", we've moved past those mindsets already in the West.
LethiuxX-I just onced a video of typical life in Japan it really seems like a nice place to live. The streets are clean, they have a excellant transportion system, and great healthcare. Japan also is in the top of the world's best economy.
They just...ignore them into vanishing. This is reminding me a bit of Amiagara Fault by Ito Junji. The compulsion to fit in and vanish. To find one's place. I wonder if he was inspired by this phenomenon...
@10:20 Did that investigative journalist write that manual on how to disappear or somehow endorsing it? He went out of his way to show it on screen almost throughout his entire part of this video. Kinda weird.
This is related to the Japanese issue called Hikikomori, people that purposely hermit themselves away from family, friends, and the outside world. THOUSANDS of people in Japan do this annually. Very sad.
@@jekku4688 thank you for the insight, I can relate a bit to social pressures and anxiety, i had heard about it before though had no idea it was to such a extent. For so long to be accepted or not something perhaps addressed is hard for me to comprehend. It's sad to me also, I am can only view or imagine this from a perspective not familiar with the culture or limited understanding. I am speechless a bit, it's so deeply tragic this has become something that is the seemingly best option. Thank you for taking the time for explaining it with your comment.
Basically done the same minus my parents caring. After my sister past away and I saw how much my dad still didn't care to talk to me even at the funeral made me want to exchange places with her, I feel so ungrateful, I have nothing living for but she left her 2 babies, I wish I could trade places with her.
Japanese people prioritize societal approval over their own happiness. It's important to have high integrity and personal standards but beyond that, depending on others' opinions to feel worthy is handing over your power to someone else who will misuse it, abuse it.
Making your own pain everyone's pain make me question: what's right and what's wrong? There are just different point of views, different perceptions of the world as we know it. Thanks for bringing awareness on this issue. I went to Japan some time ago and had no idea about this disappearance acts. Sad.
I suppose it depends on what you mean. Leaving an abusive relationship will cause the abuser pain, because the abuser is still a human. So while you are giving your pain to someone else, I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong if it was to someone who was unnecessarily cruel to you.
I think it’s a phenomenon in Japan because there isn’t much privacy in Japanese communities, and there’s a lot of social pressure to participate. So if you want to drop off the radar, you really have to disappear. In the US, where individual privacy is valued, you can choose not to participate in your community without actually leaving it. People generally stay out of each other’s businesses by default.
There’s a lot of privacy in Japan. What you’re describing is work culture where there’s pressure to partake in many work related events. I’ve been living in Japan for 11 years. The neighbors keep to themselves, and no one really knows what happening unless you’re friends.
@@dandan3045 That might because you’re a foreigner. For better or worse, you’re not under the same expectations as Japanese people put on each other and themselves. If you’re living in a rental community, there’s also less expectation to be part of the community since you’re only a temporary resident. You might actually be in one of the communities that people go to when they want to disappear.
@@dandan3045 Also, the type of privacy I’m talking about is not the “man, I wish people would stop inviting me to their parties” variety. Nobody disappears because of that. I’m talking about the, “man, I hope people don’t find out about my family problems and feel pity or disgust for me” variety.
So much whining about the police. It's not their job to find someone who has chosen to go. It's not a crime to leave your family. Also see a lot of complaints about Japanese society. If you're not Japanese it's not your place to complain. Respect people's choices! Respect other cultures.
Thank you for covering this. There are a lot of factors when it comes to missing persons reports. Unfortunately, not all those cases end well. Shame can be a driving factor in convincing a person they should leave their families behind, but there are other much more horrifying driving factors. Sexual assault victims are coerced into a life of prostitution and become victims of sex trafficking. There are also people being tortured and killed live on the Dark Web. Chinese organ harvesters also have a notable presence in the pacific region, and also in impoverished South American regions. In short, we live in a dangerous world. The love of one’s family should never compare to any degree of shame that would compel someone to leave their home. There is a forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide. We only wish that they would reconsider before undertaking that journey. No matter how hopeless and lonely you feel, know you’re not the only one and there will always be a better tomorrow. Just because people don’t always tell you they love you or hug you, doesn’t mean they’re not feeling guilty and sorrow their entire lives. Suffering only creates more suffering.
I thought I was the only one who disappeared. I ghosted my narcissistic family. I moved and I have little connection with the past. Life is pretty awesome! ❤
I've felt like disappearing so many times. Most people won't notice you until you're no longer there. The world is so harsh. I hope the people who've decided to go through with it are in a better place now.
Has it never occured to you *FamilyToxicAbuse?* I am planning 1 myself...
But I am brought up in International school so....
You sound like a victim
Cursed is the man who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
I'm at a point where 'going wild' some day looks attractive.
Yes. It's because of social media. Nowadays people are glued into their smartphone screen and so obsessive about self-image
I live in Japan. My neighbour disappeared about 10 years ago. She left her husband and two young daughters. She was a very good neighbour and decent person. It was shocking and difficult to get my head around. Nobody has ever heard from her or knows where she went. Her daughters have grown up now, and I feel sad that she never saw that.
Happens all the time, woman leaves family and reunites with a former lover. Don't be fooled by the picture perfect family. I also once heard a man left his family to be with a gay lover.
but how do you know something sinister did not happen to her?
@@christyb2912 I don't. Nobody in the neighbourhood knows anything.
So why do you care what others freely choose to do?
@@buzz5969you sure she did it of her own choice?
I met my partner in 2017 and that was when I left my original home where I lived with my toxic mother and abusive brother. I never left a note and I bet they did not bother filing a missing person report because they never cared about my existence, only my money. Sometimes, people leave their homes not because they are delinquent, but because of their abusive families.
I know many such cases...
I would say often or mostly due to abuse, not sometimes. People don't just leave on a whim, it's self-protection, not a game. And contrary to the narrative the video is giving, it's rarely "mental illness".
I certainly left my home and country due to an abusive relationship. I’m happily displaced now.
Ouch! ..That's rough
You seem bitter u need a shrink
Can't blame them. With a very cruel world we live in where a person's value depends on what he/she can provide for others instead of their good character, anyone treated badly, neglected, disrespected or unrequited would choose to do same and choose peace of mind.
I know what you mean ...
However one's values and character should be of value mainly to oneself not as an exchangeable badge of honor.
Yes it can be hard to have respectable values and provide value for the society
The wrong and regrettable thing is not that society doesn't value us for who we are, but that we value ourselves by what society thinks of us.
Exactly, or what people look like rather than their character.
The truth is out there, if one can forget the lies in their mind
While I respect the spirit of what you say, lets get real. We are organisms first. We must do what all ither organisms must do: surivive. We are not in a cruel world, we are in the workd. The one and only world we have. Being alive, moving, thinking, and feeling have a cost. That is true for anything and we as humans are the most blessed to deal with those costs. So no, I do not believe the world is cruel. It just is what it is. Accepting that and working with it leads to salvation.
Absolutely right dear brother spot on
Not all families are as good as it should be…
I am amazed that human trafficking isn't a factor. This situation seems quite conducive to a human trafficking operation - especially police indifference.
Exactly my thoughts.
Cause human trafficking is not common there.
子供は1人で夜道を歩いて家に帰ってくるほど日本は平和です？
@@IamHandsome4unot true at all. Many young girls and boys are sexually trafficked from the Philippines and surrounding islands into the Japanese prostitution and sex clubs.
It’s more catered to tourist, the locals think it’s obscene
@@hiroharu7565no
I let myself get pressured into a life I never wanted. A corporate job where I stick out like a sore thumb, a degree I never caree about, a house that consumes all my energy to upkeep. I understand wanting to disappear and start over, this time living FOR MYSELF.
Wow... This is in contrast to India... Where you can't even take leave without explaining atleast a dozen people what you're planning for.
@@user-uw6zf1qq9f Japanese are also the most Japanese in the world
@@user-uw6zf1qq9f more like most disciplined
People should have the right to disappear. Having to live with the burdens of a past isn't something everyone can endure.
Easy.
Repent of your sins.
Thats the only way.
Without true Repentance, you will die in your sins.
To disappear without closure and letting parents and friends worry endlessly is selfish, cruel and shortsighted. 😑
So true
@@rdallas81 I wasn't actually talking about sins but rather external circumstances that you can't control that is dictating your life. Like having traumatic pasts that feels like you are still living in
@@ed1pk that's why she left a letter. I don't think not letting them know is good either.
As someone who grew up in a narcissistic family dynamic I understand people wanting to disappear I know that is how I currently feel! I just sick and tired and they will never change so I'm over them.
Truly is soul crushing living under those conditions! A single person should always leave. But if you make kids, you can’t leave them hi and dry! You have to take them or stay and get help! When we make offspring, its our responsibility to raise them and protect them!
Spoken like a true little softy
Grow up and stop acting like a baby
@@AltivatedElement Spoken like a true little narc
Massively respect the privacy laws in Japan…and the fact that the public are actually decent enough to follow those laws.
Those laws actually mean that you very often can't disclose personal information even about yourself, even if you'd seriously want to....
@@martinusv7433the Japanese mean what they want to do. Even IF it means keeping their information private.
Those laws can easily be exploited though. Who's to say a percentage of those 90 or so thousands that go disappearing each year are from human trafficking?
That woman's note to her family at the beginning of the video could've been written from her own self, or possibly coherced by a third party so that her disappearance wouldn't be suspicious.
@@johnnypr-nyc8851 You’re allowed to break data protection if you suspect criminality.
Think the actual wording is something like ‘for the detection of crime.’
This could all be a ruse for human trafficking
There is a phrase that I think exists all over the Earth, in all countries. "How many children were destroyed because of what the neighbor will say? " That is, how many people were pressured, they trivialized themselves and their dreams so that those around them would not say something negative. When I read comments asking for respect and demanding it I feel sad. Respect is earned and not defined by age.
👏🏻👏🏻
You have zeroed-in on one of the major causes. Having to meet the expectations of your family or social circle is certainly a cause of "disappearing".
One big problem in Japan is the lack of fight.
Even when things go bad for a significant portion of the population, they'd rather put up with it than protest, which not only means that the government isn't pressured into changing things, but the issues themselves don't get the attention they deserve until years later.
you just completely made that up. "lack of fight" - what does that even mean?
@@matthewlevine7892 It’s been said that Japanese people in the contemporary era are more apathetic when it comes to matters that should raise concerns, as compared to their peer nations. Hence, there’s an attitude of “gambaremasu” - I’ll just try my best/harder. Instead of addressing societal problems head on things can be swept under the proverbial rug until it reaches its peak. (Reactive in many ways rather than proactive).
However, to give Japan some credit there are individuals and smaller ran organisations that do try to alleviate and address some of the societal issues at a local community/grass roots level.
No one is more aware of Japan’s societal issues than Japanese people themselves. Yet, cultural shifts rarely happen over night. Like any nation in our world and its issues, a Japan-specific solution spurred by Japanese people will be the most affective solution.
I assume that’s what the original commenter meant by “lack of fight”. YT is an international space and everyone does not have the same command of the English language, so I tried to read into what was written.
Peace. 😇
@@matthewlevine7892 Instead of just throwing out an accusation that someone's making something up, you could try asking a more focused question about why you don't believe something that was written. The fact that the original comment immediately follows up the term "lack of fight" with a description of what that looks like makes your response seem lazy and not to be taken seriously. Clearly something about that description was lacking for you. Just what was it?
@@hannah60000
Will you mock a bit more
@@CornyBum thanks. I disagree w the original post and don't see any evidence, anywhere for what he / she said.
your approach seems to be that: if someone says something, then it should be accepted as a fact. I should then ask a focused question to a stranger on the internet about a baseless statement that he / she made.
I disagree.
I "disappeared" to Asia from the US over 10 years ago, but my friends and family had the luxury of knowing about it, although it's unfortunate to say that my family wasn't a healthy environment. To give an idea, I ran away twice when I was a kid...so it wasn't difficult for me to leave. Quite the opposite, it pushed me to want to leave for many years.
That all said, Japan seems to be a place conducive to either finding yourself...or losing yourself.
The last sentence, man ! I live in Tokyo, this is so true.
There’s a book by Frank Ahearn (a former skip tracer and private eye) called How To Disappear. Some of the advice on there is outdated but a lot is still useful. In the book you learn that some people need to disappear like someone who has a violent stalker, or someone trying to hide from an abusive spouse or getting away from a toxic environment or people like family. It’s ok to disappear for the right reasons and there are resources out there to help. His book is a great start.
So you didn't "disappear" at all then?
I would like to disappear too as I am a loner by nature. But going off to some foreign country would only make me stick out even more - the complete opposite of what I would want… Lol.
@@rsuriyopfind a similar country and start from there
The father who deposits money into his son’s account. That’s love ❤
I disappeared from my home at 20yrs after I felt disappointed by my family. Fortunately, I returned almost after 11yrs and I’m happy I did!
Why did you decide to return after going AWOL for a decade?
Reminds me of the parable of the prodigal son.
Japan has so many rules and pressures to work crazy hours, and you can’t break any of these rules without dishonoring someone or being considered abnormal then you have to put up with the label. Few if any safe or soft places to land.
Many people disappear because they do not want to be bothered with their families. If someone leaves on their own accord and they are an adult, they should be left alone.
Mental illness can also lead people to bad choices. Sometimes things seem more dire at night but better the next day. Not always, of course.
Tell my mother and my angry family this 😂😂😂😂
Not if they have children and commitments
I've wished to leave almost my entire life as this point. Had it been up to me, I'd be with a girl in a completely different state or country. My father has always been such an overwhelming presence that I've always wanted to get away. I know that he cares but it's been hard riding out his issues. People disappear because they simply want to start over, without the shackles that bind them. Call it selfish all you want, but that's the feeling we get. I call it "A social suicide".
Or a mental health issue
@@politicallyincorrect2564it's not a mental health issue to get away from a problem.
Greedy and selfish people only care about themselves! They Don't care for their parents who raised and invested love in their daughters.
@@politicallyincorrect2564y’all are watering down mental health issues-
May all these families find peace and resolution
When we disappear we leave our family, friends and previous life behind.
But we take ourselves, and the baggage of our anxieties, depression and outlook on the world.
These are MUCH more difficult to run away from.
Spending 30 years sleeping in a tent on the city pavements is not a good result.
Try therapy first. Try disappearing your anxieties and depression and being kinder to yourself.
Lots of love and kindness to everyone who reads this and may we all remember to be a little kinder to one another. Greetings from the UK.
WOW. That puts the problem in perspective.
While I feel bad for the people who disappear, I have to say, I respect the Japanese people's regard for privacy.
Has it never occured to you *FamilyToxicAbuse?* I am planning 1 myself...
But I am brought up in International school so....
If aomeone dislappear does someone want to find them? Doubt it.
@@tiefblau2780Yes, what you say is so important. I hope that you will find a safe place. My heart goes out to you… please be safe.
@@ronruck Thankyou
Indifference - is the underlying theme and the gist of Japanese society.
No, not politeness, not social distance, not regard for privacy. It's Indifference.
As a homeless i felt this way so many times.
Japanese culture is definitely fascinating and unique. There is much to admire and appreciate, but also much that is just hard to understand and relate to. They have an admirable work ethic but different concepts of shame and honor. Keep in mind that Japan is a very homogeneous and insular society. It is not the most open to outsiders or differing opinions, and it seems there is a lot of pressure on conformity and not bringing shame to yourself or family. I imagine it is hard for those who feel like they can’t live up to those standards. My dad worked for Ford and there was a close partnership with Mazda in the 80s, and many businesses trips. He said it took some getting used to working with their Japanese counterparts, and the cultural differences were many.
same in China and South Korea i think.
You're reading too much into it. Most people who "disappear" are quickly found or return on their own volition, as stated clearly at the beginning of the video.
@@twist777hz The last time I looked, though, there were actually 200,000 people still missing. That is due to the build-up over the years.
Don't put things.. let alone people and their energies and lives on a pedestal-- all 'Cause you have a fascination with it. This is not a cartoon.
Aren't the Japanese " dying" as an ethnic group? The extremely low birth rate and little immigration. Are predictions of no Japanese in the future true?
Life is hard for 90 percent of people across world..
Facts.
100% is the appropriate number. Not everyone has the same level of hardship.
@johnnychannel7824 Disagree. *Objectively* some people have lives FAR easier than others.
@@johnnychannel7824100 percent in your f dreams
More like 99 percent!
Asian families have such unrealistic expectations, it's hard to live up to. I feel judged by everyone in my family just for having a normal job. I am triggered every time I talk to my parents, I can relate to these people who just want to vanish ♥
Massive stereotype and generalization.
@@dandan3045 let me guess, not asian? 🙄
In the west too. I was a lecturer at a university and still a 'disappointment' to my mother .
I can't believe I've never heard of this 90,000 every year?? I heard of the Japanese woman who came to Canada to "disappear" but 90,000? Wow this is shockingly sad.
As seen in the Johnny's issue, Japan's major TV stations are ignoring this kind of dark side of Japan by not covering it. Over the past 30 years, the "spirit of giving an inch" and "spirit of helping each other" has faded away. In the past, it was normal to giving way when passing each other on crowded streets. Nowadays, people are so busy protecting themselves from the stresses of school, work, and family that they have no time to think about others.
Companies has prioritized cutting labor costs, and the number of non-regular workers have increased, widening the gap between regular and non-regular workers.
As a result, employees at companies have come to prioritize their own self-preservation over helping each other. And children grow up seeing such behavior. As the nuclear family became more prevalent, local communities diminished and families became more individualistic. Politicians are happy as long as they get elected, and bureaucrats have no qualms about raising taxes as long as their paychecks are protected.
As reported in the news, Japan is a society intolerant of failure. Once you leave a company or organization, it is often difficult to find a job again.
It is my hope that Japanese society will once again remember the spirit of mutual aid and move toward a society that forgives failure.
i was so sad watching this video my heart goes out for them. Lets create a happier world..
for all of the fascination with Japanese culture, food, and customs, this phenomenon and the extent of suicides (like the suicide forests) shows that things aren't as light and happy as it would seem in their cultural exports.
That is why Japan is so special . Extremely strange about everything . Definitely there is way more than 90 thousand a year . Most common with the husbands and wives the way their divorce is just like that , without saying anything for a long time till one day a wife or husband just disappear from a house .
There is a nice old pop song by Aneka " Japanese Boy " . The lyrics are so true .
Still , Japan is my one of the most favourite country in every aspect .
Japanese society for all its advancements seems stressful between the high suicide rates, people evaporating or those withdrawing from society to live a s hermits the government really needs to do something.
Are you sure this is a government issue?
This is more of a societal and cultural issue than a political one. Though I do agree that the government can start to really enforce and encourage open mindedness and accepting attitudes and more info on mental health and the such. They have advanced technologically but at the level the world is right now they are decades behind
No one disappears without a reason. And no abusive family will admit that they were abusive. They will always play the victim. That's just the way of it. Take the interviews with the families with a pinch of salt.
Exact thing I was thinking
WITHOUT commentary on the families shown: Many people who disappear are NOT "mentally ill". Women who leave abusive husbands aren't the only ones who need to escape. Abusive parents are just as bad. And in Japan which STILL refuses to fully recognize LGBTQIA rights and give full protections, there's good reason to leave families and towns that try to force conformity on people. I left my own country many years ago, cut ties from an abusive family, and never came back. They have no info on where I am, and my country's government won't give info without perimission. I'm happy and have a good life.
💯 what abusive parents call disappearing, their children, now adults who don’t like them, love them, or need them, call no contact
@@ibbledibble It needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis, but yes, many are escaping abuse. As a different video on the topic noted, rates of Initimate Partner Violence in Japan skyrocketed during the pandemic, as it did everywhere.
Some people _couldn't_ leave an abusive situation, and some were pushed into one by "society", i.e. LGBTQIA people who lost their jobs and were forced to move in with bigoted "family", left no means of escape.
It's the people they're fleeing from who are mentally ill
Husbands that leave their abusive wives.
@@whenyouknowbetter3451and their abusive children
Growing up my parents, foster parents and siblings made life untenable.
I left them all behind for a new country, my husband and a wonderful family life.
Just enjoying this and realise i just want to enjoy life like this and be anonymous.
I cut all ties. I left wealth behind.
But i am very happy with what i have.
I call it the 'Samurai Code" which is engrained in every Japanese. The core of this code is fear. Samurais feared defeat as they could not stand the shame of letting down their Emperor, so they killed themselves. The reason why Japanese are world famous for making high quality reliable products, is because they put their hearts & souls into making it, out of fear of rejection or disappointing the person who buys it. This puts unmeasurable pressure on the mental health of the younger generation leading to where Japan is today. If change needs to happen then Japanese society needs to embrace failure as just a learning step towards success.
This is so very sad to the families left behind. Every day must be a soul-wrenching nightmare. Mental health problems have exploded in this world and shame keeps everyone a prisoner. Prayes for the families and the ones who "evaporate".🙏
it's sad for those who left but what u comprehend.
come to the Philippines. we value happiness more than anything else here
I think it is a myth that Filipinos are a happy people. Oftentimes, people smile and use humor to cover up the misery of their lives.
I'd choose living in Japan over the Philippines any day😂
Having slept rough for a brief period (weeks not months), I would not wish this on anyone. Even couch surfers with a network of friends eventually find themselves alone and forced to face life on the streets. I was pleasantly surprised by how good and affordable the food was in Tokyo convenience stores but the thought of spending a winter on those streets is just horrifying.
… people that are happy with their lives don’t run away … people run away from toxic people and toxic environments … good for them for not staying in a sick environment to continue the cycle of abuse they get from their families …
Such a culture seems to provide the perfect hunting grounds for people with evil intent. It seems like the perfect crime to simply leave a note and nobody will take action even though the victim's clothing, ID and phone were left behind. Who would willingly do that unless they are planning on suicide? I feel so sorry for the parents in that case. Hopefully some day they will have closure.
Yes, there are numerous murders never prosecuted due to this--and the crappy police force.
@@cejannuziIs it necessay to tell the parents that I'll never choose to disappear and please find if I disappear?
日本に来ればわかるが、死にたくなるほど平和です？
@jahonwong7259 that may be your feelings at the time, but I'm sure there are cases where a person who never thought they'd ever leave home unexpectedly, decide to. So it's hard to rely on a statement that was made at some point. Still, I think some cases should be investigated for the reason stated above.
For women especially. Prostitution, forced to make pornographic videos, etc...
People do this in the US. More than 600k go missing every year, and they're not ALL murdered. It's normal to yearn for a new/different life. There are so many terrible ecosystems that tie us down and make us fail. Who wouldn't want to escape? Nobody wants to be stuck with that sense of devastation forever. The list of ways to fail is endless. The list of ways to succeed grows shorter every year. I don't blame people one bit. This is just another symptom that we still haven't created enough paths to success and acceptance. And some people literally have nothing to lose.
They need to try therapy.
@@rosyguerin7286 While staying in abusive or toxic environments?
@@rosyguerin7286Therapy? For some people, maybe disappearing and cutting contact is the therapy. And it may work better too.
The world is cruel life is tough. Lets us be kind and nice to each other..❤
> Lets us be kind and nice to each other..❤
Live vegan.
In such a repressive culture like Japan, people couldn't even feel supported or cared by their own family. Not that their families don't love or care about them, but such affection and care are seldom expressed. A lot of resentment and anger bottled up, and to disappear from your family, that they cannot know if you are dead or alive, can be such a revenge against their apathy.
So if they "disappear" to "start" again, do they find jobs somewhere else? Do they change their identities? New name, social security number, tax ID number? If so, how? I wouldn't assume that every one who disappears ends up becoming homeless.
The report explained that the government protects adults’ private information. No need to change tax number or other government registrations.
To be honest i have felt one thousand times the need to disappear or suicidal or evaporating this life is so harsh and unbearable sometimes
People who live their loved ones like this is just plain selfish. You find peaec but leave behind bodies. I am only talking about the first girl and her parents.
Doesn't shame have a lot to do with this phenomenon? I recently read in an article about unemployment that people in countries like China, Japan and South Korea would rather fake they still have a job by going to a coffeeshop every morning (thus mimicking their routine when they were employed) than tell family and friends they have been fired from their job.
let's all pray that for the ones who wanted to leave toxic & abusive families, they are now in a better place wherever they are! 🙏
this is so sad and it's also happening at other parts of the world
In the US people don't necessarily vanish, but often abandon their family, friends, relatives, etc. Their whereabouts aren't kept secret, they just break contact, sometimes for years. Parents and members of a family often don't see the feeling of loneliness and rejection a member of the family is experiencing. The only solution seems to be some form of escape by establishing a physical distance and ceasing communication and contact. It is usually left unspoken by the family and the one trying to escape. Young people often feel trapped, overly disciplined, and un-appreciated and either become unruly or try to escape by just leaving home, running away, as they say. If they are old enough to live independently, the separation from family easily turns into years or a lifetime.
People in the U.S. do not often do this as you say. Not at all. Every now and then perhaps but it is not the norm.
@@upthedown1 I Know of several people who have done this. Perhaps you don't recognize it, because, as I stated, it is often left unspoken by the families and it certainly does not make the public news.
Please don't compare breaking contact to disappearing. What was the point of bringing that point to this situation. Breaking contact is everywhere in the world. Atleast parents know you are alive.
Yo lo hize y son mexicana. En México también pasa esto. Es como que todo y todos te terminan agovbiando
@@upthedown1latinos most of the time 😂 and then on social media post about her parents hipocrites when parents in latin america gave everything that was possible for them.
this is such a sad and depressing story. breaks my heart.
How can you do that to your parents? 😢 Go wherever you want, but at least TELL the people who love you where you are!
We really don’t know the whole situation.
@@dandan3045 What I said is for anyone who does that. Some people do.
@@paulolima6407Why would you tell your loved ones where you are, when the whole point is to disappear? It defeats the whole purpose of disappearing in the first place.
Exactly
Hikikomori, johatsu, karoshi - Japan is the undisputed world leader in creative ways to take yourself out of the equation.
A country of secretly, silently miserable people.
Not really. It's just that the Japanese happened to be the ones who coined terms for them. The same concepts exist in many places. For instance, "karoshi" (death from overwork) is common throughout Asia.
@@twist777hzit's really not as common in other Asian countries.
This is the problem with group-based societies instead of individualistic societies. When a person feels they’re not productive to the group or a burden they feel the need to remove themselves. This is less of an issue in individualistic societies.
This mindset has been prevalent in Japan since they had to work so much as a group throughout history to counter wars, invasions, and natural disasters.
I've lived in Japan over 15 years. Your comment is really insightful and spot on
Heart breaking
I realized when I work and live in Japan family has a loose connection that’s why many children feel lonely. Mother doesn’t talk much to their children and father usually work until late night. Leave a child confuse and doesn’t have a shelter to hang on. If you want your child to talk about their problem why don’t you start to talk to them first and build trust?
Hi. I met 4 young and 3 mid 30's Japanese here in Dumaguete City, Philippines . They're not acquaintance with each other here but 5 of them, tell me the same answer when I ask certain questions ;
Me: "Why do you preferred to live here in the Philippines?"
Them: "To start a new life or adventure. Life in Philippines is more chill---not much pressure."
Me: I love Anime so much, do you like Anime too??? What type or genra of anime you like
Them: "Yes I love anime, it's the ISEKAI animes, and that's the one who inspired me as well to start living a new life from zero."
I feel sad for their parents. 😢I'm not really sure if where is their daughter now...
But those 5 people that I met here, have also the same story's that they ran away from home and start a new life here.. 3 of them are working online, 2 of them are owning a small business..
I hope they will met again.
Very interesting report, thank you.
Saw a documentary about it years ago. Japan even have an industry to help people disappear. They are just not satisfied with existing relationships and want to escape and start a new life fresh. It is a strange culture. In general, we just not contact people we don't want to hang around with anymore instead of choosing to disappear.
One of my relatives works in that industry.
Thank you for this video.
I feel it’s mostly about Japanese concept of honour. It involves expectations from society and family. which is either not achieved ( ‘failure’) , or achieved and brings unhappiness. Japanese society is rarely about becoming who people really want to be. Going missing is rarely a crime in any country. Those looking for their “loved ones” want them back to return to their expectations and duties! No way.
Yeah everything about Japanese society involves heavy expectations. There is such immense social pressure. It’s not healthy.
Sad
For further reading see, "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword", and "Culture Hacks". These books are insanely interesting and should be required reading for anyone who wants to understand Japan. Japan is VERY different culturally and socially compared to every other country and culture on Earth. It is an extreme outlier in many respects.
@lashlarue7924 Having spent time in central Japan I completely agree with you. Ty for the reading recommendations. Just ordered them.
Some of those unannounced "disappearances" may be unsolved homicides.
Japan has lost its soul under American rule. It's society has morphed into a weird middle ground between Western and Oriental culture
I'm a bit more concerned about western society, no offense
None taken.
I feel so sad for the Japanese for this phenomenon. It must be too stressful for their people to have to resort to this decision 😢
not only in Japan in the world a lot of people does it
@@sarahrean7174urnubyr
You should fee more bad about poor Chinese people and homeless ppl in US. x100 worse than it is in Japan.
@@ericsohn5084 yeah that’s also equally tragic and their government do not help them
@@sarahrean7174Where? What countries?
Sometimes, it is problems at work that cause people to disappear. Japanese society is very demanding and exacting. Not everyone can keep up with the pace of life there.
I hope we can hear one of our good friend who has disappeared 12 years ago. It’s absolutely fine if she chooses to start a new life but we’re just worried about her since couldn’t find her after 311.
tragic and heartbreaking
I wonder how many people have left their family due to a toxic environment? Perhaps their mental health actually improves when they no longer have contact with emotionally and/or physically abusive family.
For those who "disappear," are they able to create a new identity, new name, new documents? In the United States, it was once possible to do so, but with computers and mandatory fingerprinting when getting a drivers license or state ID card, that is impossible now.
sad to see this is the world now. praying for everyone who's going through a lot.
Praying is not gonna solve this, what we need is to talk to each other, to go out with each other. This modern individualistic world where you were told that no one is going to help you is the reason why.
@@javierpacheco8234 exactly no body wats to talk to eachother whoes near to them but at same time chat with person far from them on Ethernet, this problem is not just limited with young ones sa goes to adults
At first I thought it was really strange. But sometimes I see a small town on TV and think, wouldn't it be nice to just start fresh with a new life, making new friends, etc. You can reinvent yourself. But, I couldn't do it. I have some really good friends and I would miss them.
Every year😮 steep materialism, nagging parents and shame leave a dint of inner emptiness among those 90,000. What profits a man if gains the world but loses his own soul?
I'm In the process of "disappearing". I get it. I'm sick of people...including my family and old friends. Social media accounts deleted, never look at email... I don't have a mobile service, so no phone calls for me. I was sick of my old self too, and people won't let you change. F people. I am who I choose to be at the moment, and I refuse to stay in the lines drawn for me.
People keep wanting things from some person I used to be. I don't even know that guy any more. He's dead.
I “disappeared” on some family and old friend and social media years ago best thing I ever did.. do what’s best for u .. I keep in touch with the family I choose to.. the others I don’t and it’s been so freeing
@@lelelum4103 I used to be very social. Travelled with Renaissance festivals and had a great time. I had a reputation as being fun and easygoing. That translates as being a doormat. I had my fill of being used. ...and the people that knew me back then assuming I'm the same person I was then...refusing to recognize decades of growth and change. Well, the old me had to "die". He doesn't exist anymore. People will just have to deal with that.
Coward. You don't disappear from mom and dad that raised you.
This explains, why my friend from Japan, has no interest in going back there. He's lived in the U.S., for about fifteen years. I thought he was wanted by the Japanese authorities, for some reason or other.
I have a Japanese friend here in England that has no interest in going back. I was thinking he was yakuza or something too 😅
If you consider this “disappearing” then pretty much everyone else who immigrates to another country must be trying to disappear as well.
There is no law against choosing to disappear
The world we all live in is not a happy one. we all are different, all we want is to be excepted. for the human we are.
"Accepted" I think is what you mean - perhaps a Freudian slip ...
Japan seems to me like one of those places that is great on paper, but the reality is a lot darker.
I'm not sure I could fit into the cultural mindsets in Japan, they are too different from Western cultural mindsets.
"The nail that sticks out gets hammered down", we've moved past those mindsets already in the West.
The west is quickly going that way though.
High rent, high competition, low social mobility, ruthless, very unforgiving if you fall.
LethiuxX-I just onced a video of typical life in Japan it really seems like a nice place to live. The streets are clean, they have a excellant transportion system, and great healthcare. Japan also is in the top of the world's best economy.
They just...ignore them into vanishing. This is reminding me a bit of Amiagara Fault by Ito Junji. The compulsion to fit in and vanish. To find one's place. I wonder if he was inspired by this phenomenon...
Everything said in this film is correct.
good story. thanks
@10:20 Did that investigative journalist write that manual on how to disappear or somehow endorsing it? He went out of his way to show it on screen almost throughout his entire part of this video. Kinda weird.
France is not the time to care about other countries' affairs.Problems that would never happen in Japon are happening here in France
This is too sad😢
I had no idea how much or why this was happening.
I'm almost speechless it's so shocking
This is related to the Japanese issue called Hikikomori, people that purposely hermit themselves away from family, friends, and the outside world. THOUSANDS of people in Japan do this annually. Very sad.
@@jekku4688 thank you for the insight, I can relate a bit to social pressures and anxiety, i had heard about it before though had no idea it was to such a extent. For so long to be accepted or not something perhaps addressed is hard for me to comprehend. It's sad to me also, I am can only view or imagine this from a perspective not familiar with the culture or limited understanding.
I am speechless a bit, it's so deeply tragic this has become something that is the seemingly best option.
Thank you for taking the time for explaining it with your comment.
Even the companies boss have to ask their employees to take a vacation. It is just so weird.
I'm surprised you've not run across reports before. CNA and DW have both covered this. This report is just the most recent one.
@@jekku4688No not really, hikkikomori often die in their homes unnoticed. This is the opposite.
Basically done the same minus my parents caring. After my sister past away and I saw how much my dad still didn't care to talk to me even at the funeral made me want to exchange places with her, I feel so ungrateful, I have nothing living for but she left her 2 babies, I wish I could trade places with her.
Keep your head up hes the one thats missing out for a parent to act like that ia horrible hes the one with the problem
Apparently, this is worst than real death.
That’s so sad really
Japanese people prioritize societal approval over their own happiness. It's important to have high integrity and personal standards but beyond that, depending on others' opinions to feel worthy is handing over your power to someone else who will misuse it, abuse it.
In india too !!
Making your own pain everyone's pain make me question: what's right and what's wrong? There are just different point of views, different perceptions of the world as we know it. Thanks for bringing awareness on this issue. I went to Japan some time ago and had no idea about this disappearance acts. Sad.
On the contrary people who disappear are selfless.
I suppose it depends on what you mean. Leaving an abusive relationship will cause the abuser pain, because the abuser is still a human. So while you are giving your pain to someone else, I wouldn't necessarily call it wrong if it was to someone who was unnecessarily cruel to you.
Families are ment to share pain.
@@TheGreatVivek7exactly!👍👏🏻
I believe there is something more sinister happening in Japan, there's no way all those people can disappear without a trace to never be seen again.
yes you can keep thinking about it
Those poor families left behind ❤
I think it’s a phenomenon in Japan because there isn’t much privacy in Japanese communities, and there’s a lot of social pressure to participate. So if you want to drop off the radar, you really have to disappear. In the US, where individual privacy is valued, you can choose not to participate in your community without actually leaving it. People generally stay out of each other’s businesses by default.
There’s a lot of privacy in Japan. What you’re describing is work culture where there’s pressure to partake in many work related events. I’ve been living in Japan for 11 years. The neighbors keep to themselves, and no one really knows what happening unless you’re friends.
@@dandan3045 That might because you’re a foreigner. For better or worse, you’re not under the same expectations as Japanese people put on each other and themselves. If you’re living in a rental community, there’s also less expectation to be part of the community since you’re only a temporary resident. You might actually be in one of the communities that people go to when they want to disappear.
@@dandan3045 Also, the type of privacy I’m talking about is not the “man, I wish people would stop inviting me to their parties” variety. Nobody disappears because of that. I’m talking about the, “man, I hope people don’t find out about my family problems and feel pity or disgust for me” variety.
The opposite is true. You’re stating this as if it’s fact.
So much whining about the police. It's not their job to find someone who has chosen to go. It's not a crime to leave your family. Also see a lot of complaints about Japanese society. If you're not Japanese it's not your place to complain. Respect people's choices! Respect other cultures.
I agree, many decide to go no contact because their choices have not been respected by those who claim to "love" them.
Thank you for covering this. There are a lot of factors when it comes to missing persons reports. Unfortunately, not all those cases end well. Shame can be a driving factor in convincing a person they should leave their families behind, but there are other much more horrifying driving factors. Sexual assault victims are coerced into a life of prostitution and become victims of sex trafficking. There are also people being tortured and killed live on the Dark Web. Chinese organ harvesters also have a notable presence in the pacific region, and also in impoverished South American regions.
In short, we live in a dangerous world. The love of one’s family should never compare to any degree of shame that would compel someone to leave their home. There is a forest in Japan where people go to commit suicide. We only wish that they would reconsider before undertaking that journey. No matter how hopeless and lonely you feel, know you’re not the only one and there will always be a better tomorrow. Just because people don’t always tell you they love you or hug you, doesn’t mean they’re not feeling guilty and sorrow their entire lives. Suffering only creates more suffering.
The dw thing is real? There really are people being hurt like that?👀
The privacy in japan is pretty impressive
I can relate. Ive thought about doing the same thing most every day for the last couple of years. Its only a matter of time before i just go.
This is so sad. I feel for the parents.
I thought I was the only one who disappeared. I ghosted my narcissistic family. I moved and I have little connection with the past. Life is pretty awesome! ❤
This is very sad. Please call the people who love you!
I never knew about this. Thank you for reporting!
I walk by that church at 12:35 almost every Friday.
It is a beacon of hope in a hopeless society.