Shadow Supply Chains of Escape in Japan: A Logistical Analysis of Voluntary Disappearance

Abstract

Voluntary disappearance, a phenomenon known as jōhatsu in Japan, transcends the notion of impulsive flight to represent a sophisticated logistical strategy. The relevance of this topic lies in uncovering a marginal form of social organization founded on the meticulous planning of erasure and invisibility. By adopting a novel interdisciplinary approach that combines logistics management and social sciences, this article investigates the shadow supply chains enabling individuals to carefully orchestrate their withdrawal from society. Such an analysis sheds new light on the dual role of logistics management—not merely as a mechanism for controlling and directing product flows but also as an instrument of dissent and silent resistance through social withdrawal. The study opens promising research avenues that invite a deeper exploration of the material and symbolic infrastructures underpinning voluntary disappearance in Japan. Furthermore, it encourages expanding the concept to encompass other contemporary manifestations of withdrawal, especially in today’s increasingly hyperconnected and highly surveilled societies, where invisibility itself becomes a form of strategic agency.

Keywords: Dissidence, Japan, jōhatsu, logistics, social withdrawal, shadow supply chains, surveillance society, voluntary disappearance

DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/102-04

Publication date: August 31^st 2025