Mark Barrott: 蒸発 (J​ō​hatsu)

In Japan, a culturally unique phenomenon known as johatsu (蒸発, meaning "evaporation") sees individuals purposefully vanish from their lives, leaving no trace behind. Often driven by societal pressures, shame, or unfulfilling circumstances, these people seek a new beginning, free from the burden of their past. Born from the shadows of Japan's demanding work culture and forged by the pain of loss and failure, their whispered stories are swept away. As night falls, yonige-ya or "fly-by-night shops," serve as underground enablers of escape, while the dim lights of pachinko parlors cradle lost souls searching for solace. Amidst the enigmatic atmosphere of these veiled communities, echoes of the disappeared quietly mingle with the distant hum of civilization.