Dying Alone: Society

SYNOPSIS

Thousands of people die alone in Japan every year. Many are discovered weeks or months after they've passed away. The phenomenon of solitary deaths, or kodokushi, has become so common there is now high demand for services that clean out the apartments of the dead - something families used to do. With more elderly people living alone and their growing isolation in Japanese society, some say this grim trend is likely to continue. Find out more about lonely deaths and the industry that's sprung up around them on RTD.