The health and social care system is now turning to technology, using GPS tracking, AI diagnostics, and care robots to support patients. Community initiatives, such as dementia-friendly cafés, highlight the continued importance of human interaction alongside technology.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Faris Mohammed;

People aged 65 and over now make up almost 30 percent of Japan’s population, and the government estimates dementia-related costs will rise to 14 trillion yen by 2030 and has identified it as a top policy challenge. New tools range from wearable GPS tags and community alert systems to AI gait analysis and experimental humanoid caregiver robots.