Johatsu is a phenomenon in Japan where people disappear without a trace, voluntarily, to start new lives. This documentary, Johatsu: Into Thin Air, examines every aspect that pushes countless people in Japan to leave their families and their homes in search of anonymity.
Making its streaming premiere in Australia, find out how to watch Johatsu: Into Thin Air in Australia here.
Johatsu: Into Thin Air release date Australia
Johatsu: Into Thin Air makes its streaming debut in Australia on Thursday, 3 July 2025, exclusively on DocPlay. The documentary initially made its premiere last March 2024.
Over a year later, it is going straight to DocPlay for streaming online. For watching this particular doco and other films on DocPlay, the streamer still offers a 14-day trial to new customers.
| Documentary | Streaming Date | Streaming Service |
|---|---|---|
| Johatsu: Into Thin Air | Thur, 3 July 2025 | DocPlay |
Johatsu: Into Thin Air trailer
Don’t miss Johatsu: Into Thin Air streaming in Australia via DocPlay from 3 July! Check out the trailer below.
What is Johatsu: Into Thin Air about?
This poignant and haunting documentary by Andreas Hartmann and Arata Mori delves into a strange phenomenon in Japan that continues to strengthen in traction—people vanishing from their own lives, forging new identities and settling in new places to start anew. Those who disappear without a trace are known as Johatsu or “the evaporated”.
Hartmann and Mori examine the very nature of such a decision—the reasons why they abandon their lives, from troublesome relationships to staggering debts and threats from an organised crime, and the businesses that help them disappear, never to be seen or heard from again. Companies that provide this service not only help them vanish, they also erase their clients’ past, allowing them to turn over a new leaf.
Into Thin Air also explores the repercussions of these disappearances, particularly the aftermath for the families left behind. Since the police cannot intervene without evidence of a crime, they rely on private detectives to discover the truth. Even more haunting, starting over at the expense of abruptly leaving their families does not guarantee peace, as “the evaporated” often deal with poverty, isolation, and the weight of unresolved conflicts.
In a nutshell, the documentary offers a raw, tender, and visually rich exploration of what it means to vanish, to escape social pressures and threats. While it provides an extensive glimpse into this unique Japanese phenomenon, it also serves as a compassionate reminder that the strong desire to hide and to reset is well within human nature.
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