Japan is facing a dementia crisis – can technology help?

Last year, more than 18,000 elderly people living with dementia left their homes for Japan. Approximately 500 people were later found dead.

Police say such cases have doubled since 2012.

Seniors aged 65 and over now make up about 30 percent of Japan’s population; According to the World Bank, it is the second highest rate in the world after Monaco.

The crisis is exacerbated by a shrinking workforce and strict restrictions on foreign workers coming to provide care.

Japan’s government has identified dementia as one of its most pressing policy challenges; The Department of Health estimates that dementia-related health and social care costs will reach 14 trillion yen ($90bn; £67bn) by 2030, up from nine trillion yen in 2025.

In its latest strategy, the government signaled a stronger turn to technology to ease the pressure.

People across the country are using GPS-based systems to track wanderers.

Some areas have wearable GPS tags that can alert authorities the moment a person leaves a designated area.

In some towns, grocery store workers receive real-time notifications, a kind of social safety net that can locate a missing person within hours.

Other technologies aim to detect dementia earlier.

Fujitsu’s aiGait uses artificial intelligence to analyze posture and gait patterns, detecting early signs of dementia (shuffling while walking, slower turns or difficulty standing) and creates skeletal sketches that clinicians can review during routine checkups.

“Early detection of age-related diseases is very important,” says Fujitsu spokesman Hidenori Fujiwara. “If doctors can use motion capture data, they can intervene earlier and help people stay active longer.”

Meanwhile, researchers at Waseda University are developing AIREC, a 150kg humanoid robot designed to be the caregiver of the “future”.

It can help a person put on socks, scramble eggs, and fold laundry. Scientists at Waseda University hope that in the future, AIREC will be able to change diapers and prevent bedsores in patients.

Similar robots are already being used in nursing homes to play music to residents or guide them through simple stretching exercises.

They also monitor patients at night (placed under mattresses to monitor their sleep and condition), reducing the need for people to keep watch.

Although humanoid robots may be developed in the near future, Assistant Professor Tamon Miyake says it will take at least five years for the level of precision and intelligence required before they can safely interact with humans.

“It requires whole-body sensing and adaptive understanding—how to adapt to each person and situation,” he says.

Emotional support is also part of the innovation effort.

Poketomo, a 12 cm tall robot, can be carried in a bag or fit into a pocket. It reminds users to take medication, tells you how to prepare for the weather outside in real time, and offers chat for single people, which its creators say helps ease social isolation.

Miho Kagei, Sharp’s development manager, told the BBC: “We focus on social problems… and use new technology to help solve these problems.”

While devices and robots offer new ways to help, human connection remains irreplaceable.

“Robots should support human caregivers, not replace them,” said Mr. Miyake, a Waseda University scientist. “While they may take on some duties, their primary role is to assist both caregivers and patients.”

People flock to the Wrong Orders Restaurant founded by Akiko Kanna in Sengawa, Tokyo, to serve dementia patients.

Inspired by her father’s experience with the disease, Ms. Kanna wanted a place where people could stay busy and feel purposeful.

Toshio Morita, one of the cafe’s servers, uses flowers to remember which table ordered what.

Despite his cognitive decline, Mr. Morita enjoys the interaction. The café provides respite for his wife and helps keep her busy.

Kanna’s cafe shows why social interventions and community support are still necessary. Technology can provide tools and relief, but meaningful engagement and human connection is what truly sustains people living with dementia.

“To be honest, I wanted some pocket money. I like meeting all kinds of people,” Mr. Morita says. “Everyone is different; that’s what makes it fun.”

Additional reporting by Jaltson Akkanath Chummar