As Japanese society changes, many elderly people find themselves isolated and facing a "lonely death." Government agencies and private groups are working hard to give them a new lease on life.
Japan is facing a rising number of "lonely deaths," or people dying in isolation, despite government efforts to stem the tide. The issue has become such a part of modern society here that it even has its own term, "kodokushi" — making up close to 5% of Japan's overall death rate.
Statistics released by the government and police in late April showed that 76,941 people died "lonely deaths" across Japan in the 2025 fiscal year, which ended on March 31. That is 921 cases more than the previous year.
Authorities estimate that 22,222 of the total "lonely deaths" were also "koritsushi," meaning that the person's body was not found for at least eight days. In 7,148 incidents, approximately 9% of the total, the body was not discovered for more than one month.
Elderly people accounted for the vast majority of "lonely deaths," although the statistics included 57 teenagers and 753 people in their 20s. The rise has prompted a debate about loneliness and isolation in modern Japan.
