A Lonely Death
photo by Toru Hanai / Reuters

Flat landlord Yoshie Fukuhara, 77, lays flowers as she prays where the body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month after the special cleaning of the flat in Tokyo March 21, 2015.

A bathtub and toilet are seen in a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left for over a month. In rapidly ageing Japan, more people are dying alone and unnoticed. Tokyo

A worker for special cleaning makes uses insecticides smoke to kill flies in a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left for over a month. Tokyo

Hundreds of flies are seen at a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left for over a month. Tokyo

Hirotsugu Masuda, a special cleaning worker prays in front of a stain on the floor in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month. Tokyo

A watch and letters are left discarded at a flat in Tokyo March 21, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

Leftover rice and milk cartons are seen in the kitchen of a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

Hirotsugu Masuda, a worker for special cleaning, reacts as he enters a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left over a month.

Payment and value of an annuity certificate is seen at a flat in Tokyo March 21, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

Hirotsugu Masuda, a worker for special cleaning, checks belongings for documents to protect the owners family from identity theft and to find pictures that family members may value during special cleaning at a flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

Workers for special cleaning put garbage into a plastic bags at a garbage-filled flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

Packaged condoms are seen in discarded rubbish in a flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 as it is cleaned by specialists where a body of an 85 year-old man was left over a month.

Hirotsugu Masuda, a worker for special cleaning, sweeps tatami mats at a flat in Tokyo March 20, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

A special cleaning worker and flat landlord Yoshie Fukuhara (R), 77, check belongings for documents to protect the owner’s family from identity theft and to find pictures that family members may value at a flat in Tokyo March 21, 2015 where a body of an 85 year-old man was left for over a month.

The graves for people who have no-one to tend them are seen at a temple in Tokyo March 30, 2015.