Under the Basic Act on Dementia, which came into force in 2024, Japan seeks to achieve a co-existent society in which people living with dementia can continue to live their lives with dignity, hope, and purpose, based on a “new understanding of dementia”. However, achieving this vision requires not only support for people with dementia themselves, but also the establishment of comprehensive and sustainable support systems for the families and others who provide their care.
In Japan, the burden borne by family caregivers remains substantial. Balancing caregiving responsibilities with employment and social life, as well as the serious impact on caregivers’ physical and mental health, continues to pose significant challenges.

Against this backdrop, the Dementia Project of Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) has, since April 2025, undertaken a policy initiative entitled “The Future of Dementia Policy Surrounding Families and Others Who Care for People with Dementia”. Through multi-stakeholder advisory board meetings and expert hearings, the project has re-examined these challenges and worked towards the development of policy recommendations.

This symposium has hold as the culmination of approximately one year of project activities. It has presented an overview of the policy recommendations and their key issues, and provided a forum for in-depth discussion on the considerations necessary for their effective implementation, bringing together people with lived experience, academic experts, and policymakers.

The symposium is available on YouTube at the following.

■[Japanese Only] Dementia Project FY2025 Initiative Concluding Symposium “The Future of Dementia Policy Surrounding Families and Others Who Care for People with Dementia” (2:14:06)

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Monday, March 9, 2026, 17:00-19:30 JST
  (Networking 19:30-20:30)
• Format: In person / Online (Zoom webinar)
• Venue: Akasaka Intercity Conference, 4F “The Amphitheater”
  (1-8-1 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo – Akasaka Intercity AIR)
  
• Language: Japanese only
• Host: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
• Sponsors: Eisai Co., Ltd.; Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Eli Lilly Japan K.K.; Novo Nordisk Pharma Ltd.

[Program] (Titles omitted)

17:00-17:20	Opening Remarks and Presentation of Policy Recommendations
	Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI)
17:20-17:25	Opening Address Hayato Suzuki (State Minister of Cabinet Office / Member of the House of Representatives / Secretary-General, Parliamentary Association for Promoting Dementia Policies for an Inclusive Society)
17:25-18:15	Panel Discussion 1 “Re-examining Support for Family Caregivers Today”
	Takao Ando (Member of the House of Representatives) Nobuyuki Kii (Director / Principal, Research & Consulting Division, Japan Research Institute) Keiichi Koshimizu (Member of the House of Representatives) Aki Nakanishi (Project Professor, Graduate School of Human Life Science, Osaka Metropolitan University) Makoto Wada (Representative Director, Association of People with Dementia and Their Families) Moderator: Shunichiro Kurita (Senior Manager, HGPI)
18:25-19:15	Panel Discussion 2 “Transforming Society Through Research”
	Michiru Kakinuma (Senior Researcher, Policy and Economic Centre, Mitsubishi Research Institute) Shu Kinoshita (Associate Professor, Faculty of Letters, Keio University) Hajime Takechi (Professor, Department of Dementia and Geriatric Medicine, Fujita Health University) Miyae Yamakawa (Associate Professor, Division of Gerontological Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University) Moderator: Honoka Hiraka (Senior Associate, HGPI)
19:40-20:30	Networking