NHK obtained exclusive video and sound recordings of a Japanese psychiatric hospital from an inside whistle blower along with records about nearly 1,500 patients. What emerged was a picture of rampant patient abuse and use of illegal physical constraints — plus the fact that 78% of patients were only discharged when they had died. It was discovered that families, government agencies, and other psychiatric hospitals have come to depend on such hospitals, which serve as a place for patients who have nowhere else to go in today’s Japan. The investigative report uses extensive documentary evidence and interviews with sources including patients’ relatives to shed light on persistent problems at psychiatric hospitals in Japan. With approx. 80% of psychiatric hospitals being private, people have little knowledge of what goes on inside public ones. The programing and news department set up a special team to investigate the story and enable brave yet vulnerable individuals to have their voices heard. Considerable attention was generated on social media, attracting more than 9m comments on X, while the trailer was viewed 1.7 million times. It stirred the government, local authorities, police, and other organizations to act. The documentary received the ABU prize among others.