Japan Grapples with Dementia Crisis: Can Technology Offer a Lifeline?
Tokyo, Japan – Japan faces a growing dementia crisis amid its rapidly aging population, prompting innovative efforts to harness technology for caregiving and early detection. With elderly citizens aged 65 and over comprising nearly 30% of the nation’s population—the second-highest proportion globally after Monaco—the societal challenge is immense.
Escalating Problem of Missing Dementia Patients
Last year alone, over 18,000 older adults living with dementia left their homes and went missing across Japan, with nearly 500 ultimately found deceased. These incidents have doubled since 2012, underscoring the urgent need for improved care and monitoring measures. The crisis is intensified by Japan’s shrinking workforce and restrictive policies on foreign care workers, limiting available human support.
Government Response and Economic Impact
The Japanese government has identified dementia as a priority policy issue. The Health Ministry projects that dementia-related healthcare and social care expenditures will surge from nine trillion yen in 2025 to an estimated 14 trillion yen (approximately $90 billion or £67 billion) by 2030. Recognizing the scale of the challenge, recent national strategies emphasize incorporating technology alongside conventional caregiving.
Technology as a Tool for Care and Safety
Across Japan, GPS-based tracking systems are increasingly adopted to prevent individuals with dementia from becoming lost. Several regions provide wearable GPS tags that alert authorities if a wearer exits a designated safe zone. In certain communities, convenience store employees receive real-time notifications, creating a grassroots network that can help locate missing persons swiftly, often within hours.
Early Detection Through Artificial Intelligence
Beyond safety, technology is also being deployed for early diagnosis. Fujitsu and Acer Medical have developed aiGait, an AI tool analyzing posture and gait patterns to detect subtle signs of dementia, such as shuffling steps or difficulty standing. This motion-capture technology generates skeletal outlines that clinicians can review during routine examinations, enabling earlier interventions to maintain patients’ activity levels.
Robotics in Dementia Care
Researchers at Waseda University in Tokyo are advancing humanoid robotic caregivers, exemplified by AIREC—a 150kg robot designed to assist with daily tasks such as putting on socks, scrambling eggs, and folding laundry. Future goals include enabling such robots to change adult nappies and prevent bedsores. While robots currently play a supplementary role—engaging patients in music or exercises and monitoring nighttime conditions via sensors under mattresses—scientists acknowledge that fully autonomous, adaptively intelligent humanoid robots capable of safe human interaction remain at least five years away.
Supporting Emotional and Social Well-being
Innovations extend to emotional support as well. Sharp’s Poketomo robot, standing just 12cm tall, fits in a pocket or bag and offers companionship by reminding users to take medication, providing weather updates, and initiating conversations to mitigate social isolation for those living alone.
Human Connection Remains Essential
Despite technological progress, experts emphasize that robots should complement, not replace, human caregivers. Assistant Professor Tamon Miyake of Waseda University stresses that while robots may undertake certain tasks, they are primarily designed to assist both patients and caregivers, preserving essential human interaction.
Community Initiatives Highlight Human Importance
The “Restaurant of Mistaken Orders” in Sengawa, Tokyo, founded by Akiko Kanna, exemplifies community-driven support. The café employs people living with dementia as servers, providing them purposeful engagement and social interaction. Toshio Morita, one of the servers with cognitive decline, delights in the experience. For his family, the café offers respite and connection.
Kanna’s establishment illustrates that while technology offers valuable tools to alleviate some pressures, meaningful social engagement and human companionship remain fundamental to sustaining quality of life for those affected by dementia.
As Japan navigates this complex public health challenge, the integration of cutting-edge technology with empathetic community support may provide a holistic approach to improving care for people living with dementia in an aging society.
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Reporting from Tokyo by Suranjana Tewari, Asia Business Correspondent, with additional insights from Jaltson Akkanath Chummar for BBC News.
