Inside Japan’s secret 'fly-by-night' industry that helps thousands disappear each year

The process usually begins with a discreet telephone consultation to discuss the client’s situation and the fees involved.

In Japan, walking away from one’s life is not only possible but is a service offered for a fee. Specialist firms, known as yonigeya — literally translated as “fly-by-night movers” — assisted individuals who needed to disappear quickly and quietly, often due to desperate personal circumstances.

The practice, reported by the Los Angeles Times, caters to people facing extreme difficulties, such as crippling debt, stalking, domestic abuse, or the weight of social shame. A viral Instagram post recently claimed that over 100,000 people in Japan vanish each year with the help of such services.

The process usually begins with a discreet telephone consultation to discuss the client’s situation and the fees involved. Costs ranged between $2,000 and $20,000 (around 300,000 yuan to 3 million yuan, or approximately 1,600 euros to 16,000 euros), depending on the distance to be covered, the complexity of the case, and the level of risk.

This is followed by a face-to-face meeting in which the company’s staff assessed the client’s home, neighbourhood, and potential threats. Planning typically took between a week and ten days, during which time the team identifies the safest time-frame for the move and maps every step to avoid attracting attention.

In higher-risk cases, yonigeya operatives disguise themselves as delivery staff, tradespeople, or second-hand furniture buyers to gain entry without arousing suspicion. Timing is a critical factor.

Hiroyuki Ono, of the firm Agent Express, explained that he preferred late-night operations, noting that debt collectors in Japan were prohibited from contacting people after 8pm. Others favoured late mornings, when many neighbours were out shopping and street activity created natural distractions.

In the days before the final move, smaller possessions were removed discreetly in backpacks or small bags. Larger items were often left behind, or their removal was disguised: operatives might pose as department store staff collecting boxes marked “returned goods” or as second-hand dealers “purchasing” furniture.

On the designated day, families followed their usual routines. A father might leave for a fictitious sales appointment, a mother might be “out shopping”, and children would be collected from school for an invented doctor’s visit. Once the area was deemed clear, the team would move in, pack boxes in minutes, load vans, and station lookouts to monitor for pursuers. Spare vehicles are sometimes kept on hand to slow down anyone giving chase.

Occasionally, the danger is in the home itself. Yusuke Matsuura, president of Support Japan, recounted helping a woman escape her abusive, unemployed husband, who was almost always at home. One night, after getting him heavily intoxicated, she phoned Matsuura. Within half an hour, his team had removed her and all her belongings.

In another case, a factory owner who owed $1 million to loan sharks was under constant surveillance. Matsuura’s team posed as rival gang members, claiming the debtor owed an even larger sum. They then staged a mock kidnapping, which allowed the family to be removed without alerting the creditors.

Typical clients include: Debtors pursued by boryokudan (organised crime syndicates) or their associates.
Victims of harassment, stalking, or intimate partner violence.
Individuals attempting to break family ties or avoid the stigma of personal failure.

Because many clients are already in severe financial distress, most companies demand full payment upfront. In some instances, debtors take out further loans to fund their escape.

Some firms agree to defer payment but warn of consequences. Yoshio Onodera, regional director of Secret Research, told the Los Angeles Times: “Since I am hiding them, I know where they live. They have to pay me back.”

Once relocated, clients are often moved to larger cities such as Tokyo or Osaka, where anonymity was easier to maintain. Companies arrange accommodation, mobile phones, and vehicles registered under other names. Clients are advised to abandon identity documents, bank cards, and even their own cars to prevent tracking, travelling instead with only a small bag of essentials.