Japanese Man Finds Remains of Mother Missing for 10 Years After Entrusting 'Sseuregi Jip' Cleaning

"Usually Away from Home for Several Days Without Notice"
Police Close Investigation, No Suspicion of Homicide

A man in Japan shocked many after discovering the remains of his mother, who had been missing for 10 years, while hiring a cleaning company to clean his home.

A man in Japan called a professional cleaning company to clean his home and was shocked to discover the remains of his mother who had been missing for 10 years.
[Image source=Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP)]

The Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) recently reported that Mr. A, who lives in Kyoto, Japan, found the remains of his missing mother while preparing to move for a new job and had hired a cleaning company to do a thorough cleaning of his house.

The house originally belonged to Mr. A’s parents and was shared with Mr. A and his siblings. The mother went missing 10 years ago, and a few years later, the father passed away. Mr. A’s siblings had left the house due to their jobs, so Mr. A was living alone. Mr. A had neglected cleaning the house entirely, leaving it in a state of disarray. Because of this, foul odors were present throughout the house, making it what is commonly called a “trash house.”

While preparing to move for his new job, Mr. A entrusted the cleaning company with the house cleaning. During the cleaning, the staff lifted old blankets and bedding and discovered what appeared to be human bones. At first, they thought it was a model, but soon realized the object was real human remains and informed Mr. A.

The appearance of Mr. A's house before and after cleaning by a professional cleaning company. [Image source=South China Morning Post (SCMP), Hong Kong]

Mr. A suspected the remains were those of his mother and contacted the police. DNA testing confirmed that the remains were indeed his mother’s. Mr. A explained, “My mother often left the house for days without notice and rarely spoke to any family members, so it is possible she quietly passed away in her room.” It is also presumed that because the house was filled with trash and emitted a strong odor requiring a professional cleaning service, the smell of decomposition went unnoticed.

Based on Mr. A’s statement and the autopsy results, the police concluded there was no evidence of foul play or any special criminal suspicion. Mr. A was fined, and the case was closed.

A representative of the cleaning company said about the incident, “At first, our staff were shocked by the discovery, but they adapted faster than ordinary people because we receive at least 10 orders a month to clean up after solitary deaths.”

Meanwhile, MyDona News cited data from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, reporting that the number of people who died from solitary deaths in Japan increased from 134,000 in 2000 to 188,000 in 2019. Additionally, citing a report from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, it was reported that in the first quarter of 2024, 21,716 “single-person home deaths” accounted for 35.9% of the 60,446 deaths confirmed by the police.