Johatsu: Into Thin Air

Year: 2024
Country: Germany
Director: Andreas Hartmann, Arata Mori
Genre: documentary
Runtime: 86 min.
Age: 18+
Disillusioned individuals in Japan vanish to start anew, aided by firms providing new identities. It delves into the turmoil of those who disappear and the loved ones grappling with their absence, exploring reconciliation attempts.

Every year, thousands of people vanish without a trace in Japan. Known as the Johatsu, or “the evaporated,” they abandon their lives for various reasons, a troublesome relationship, mounting debts or threats from the mafia. Some get support from so-called “night moving” companies, which help people to disappear and start a new life somewhere else. Taking an intimate look into the phenomenon of “evaporating people,” JOHATSU – INTO THIN AIR depicts the inner conflicts and attempts at reconciliation of those who have disappeared and those who have been left behind.

Awards & Festivals:

CPH:DOX – participation
ZagrebDox – participation
DOK.fest Munich – participation
Krakow Film Festival – participation
Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival – participation
Osaka Asian Film Festival – participation
Nippon Connection Japanese Film Festival – participation


Docu-mental 5th Mental Health Film Biennale