[Herald Economy reporter Han Ji-sook] A member of a popular Japanese girl group stunned fans when she posted photos of her apartment that looked more like a trash-filled, hoarder-like space than the polished image she shows on stage.On May 7, local entertainment outlets including Livedoor News reported that Ruka Okonogi, 28, of the girl group JamsCollection posted a photo on social media with the caption, "I came home after a long time — this is my laugh button," along with a picture of her room.
The narrow, vertically oriented room in the photo was strewn with clothing, bags and shopping sacks, leaving almost no clear floor space.
The post racked up more than 5,000,000 views and drew hundreds of comments. Fans reacted with a mix of shock and sympathy: "Is this the reality behind the glitter?," "Relieved — my room's worse," "She must be so busy with work," "I want to help clean," and "Did someone break in?"
One commenter suggested she hire a cleaning service, and several specialty cleaning companies even offered to clean for free. Okonogi said she had used cleaners before; even when they extended their service by 30 minutes, they couldn't get things properly organized and the situation did not improve.
Okonogi had posted images of the room last month as well. In that post, a half-eaten bento box sat on the floor while she lay amid scattered trash.
Recently, so-called "trash houses" have been found not only among isolated elderly households but also among single-person homes in their 20s and 30s, often linked to depression or profound apathy.
Companies that specialize in extreme cleanups report that most of their clients are people in their 20s and 30s, and roughly 90% are women. Many of these clients work in respected, high-pressure fields — doctors, lawyers, employees at major corporations and influencers — and remain professionally active despite chaotic living conditions.
Mental health experts view the accumulation of trash as a manifestation of hoarding disorder, a form of obsessive-compulsive condition characterized by persistent difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their actual value or use. In severe cases, people cannot bring themselves to throw away garbage. They may form attachments to refuse, become paralyzed over decisions about what to discard, or see the act of deciding and discarding as an overwhelming task.
