A terrible stench wafts through the air at the scene (image courtesy of Risk Benefit). A major problem caused by solitary deaths is the decomposition of the bodies. In the summer, the body begins to decompose within two days or so, and the smell of decay, insect infestation, and the body begins to dissolve. Toshiro Tanaka, who manages two apartment buildings in Tokyo, has never forgotten the first time he saw a solitary death about 20 years ago.   A man in his 70s was living alone in a one-room apartment. He had apparently collapsed while taking a bath, and was not found until more than a week later. Since it was summer, the decomposition was intense and the body emitted a tremendous stench. The body melted away