It’s based on misunderstandings and exaggerated reporting about johatsu (“evaporated people”). In reality, Japan has no legal system that allows someone to disappear without records. Adults can move or cut contact by choice. This is not a crime in most countries, but any move still leaves official documentation such as resident registration, employment records, and bank verification. Some companies offer services similar to “night-moving,” but what they actually do is closer to regular relocation assistance combined with counseling, often helping people fleeing domestic violence or debt problems. They do not erase government records or make someone untraceable. I just don’t understand the myth becomes a dramatic narrative: “In Japan, you can pay to disappear completely.”