By DAICHI ITAKURA/ Staff Writer
September 15, 2025 at 07:00 JST
The building that houses the National Police Agency in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
The number of people who died alone at their homes from January through June was 40,913, an increase of 3,686 from the same half-year period in 2024, the National Police Agency said.
Among the cases so far in 2025, 11,669 bodies were not discovered for eight days or more after the estimated time of death, a year-on-year increase of 1,233, according to the NPA’s preliminary figures released on Aug. 29.
A Cabinet Office working committee defines such belated discoveries as “koritsushi” (solitary deaths).
Nearly 40 percent, or 15,351, of the 40,913 deaths were discovered by police within a day.
The number was 13,893 for bodies discovered between two days and one week after the estimated time of death.
By age, 23 of the 40,913 deaths were teenagers or younger, 369 were in their 20s, 529 were in their 30s, 1,206 were in their 40s, 4,002 were in their 50s, 7,304 were in their 60s, 12,874 were in their 70s, and 14,515 were in their 80s or older.
A project team of the Cabinet Office compiled a report in July on measures to reduce the number of solitary deaths.
The report proposed efforts to encourage individuals to join community activities to give them a sense of belonging and a chance to form connections with others.
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