Dementia in ‘super-aged’ Japan: Challenges and Solutions

Abstract

Japan, as a ‘super-aged’ society, is at the forefront of the socioeconomic change resulting from the unprecedented demographic shift of aging societies, and is an exemplar for other countries. Within neurodegenerative disorders, a deeper understanding of the issues faced by aging societies, and their ramifications on the mental well being and cognitive health of older adults, is important. Japan’s pioneering approaches in assistive technology and ‘gerontotechnology’ have the potential to enhance the field of dementia in terms of assessment, diagnosis and care. This article is a narrative review of the issue of aging and dementia in Japan by discussing demographics, implications of a ‘super-aged’ society, challenges and potential solutions to the growing issue of dementia in the world’s most aged nation.

Keywords: :

• assistive technology
• care robotics
• dementia
• Japan
• narrative review
• super-aging

Acknowledgements

The authors extend their thanks to the following people in Japan for supporting the ideas and material for this review: J Tsujii, M Oono, H Miwa and K Jokinen of National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Artificial Intelligence Research Centre (AIRC), Tokyo; K Kondo of Miyazaki Tano Municipal Hospital; J Toya and N Murakami of Sakura Shinmachi Urban Clinic, Tokyo; T Kinoshita, K Mochizuki and S Aoyama of Nozomi Memory Clinic, Tokyo; Minamigata-sou Care Home, Okayama; Cosmos Gardens Care Home, Kure.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by a FY2017 Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), Invitational Fellowship for Research in Japan, awarded to I Leroi, T Sugihara and K Watanabe (S17141). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.