Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) Associate Ms. Nana Moriguchi delivered a presentation at the 6th Academic Conference of the Tokyo Branch of the Japan Society for Dementia Prevention regarding collaboration within dementia policy and prevention in Tokyo.

In a presentation entitled “Dementia Policy in Japan Following the Enactment of the Basic Act on Dementia and Perspectives on Brain Health”, HGPI provided an overview of recent developments in dementia policy in Japan. The presentation was centered on the Basic Act on Dementia to Promote an Inclusive Society (hereinafter referred to as the Basic Act on Dementia), enacted in 2023, and the Basic Plan for Dementia Measures formulated in 2024. In particular, through a comparison between the draft bill submitted to the Diet in 2019—which was subsequently abandoned—and the enacted Basic Act on Dementia, the presentation examined shifts in the policy positioning of dementia prevention and coexistence, as well as the impact of the participation of people living with dementia and their families on the policy-making process.

Beyond dementia policy, the presentation highlighted the need to view brain health across the entire life course as a key issue. Apart from brain health, it also introduced related concepts such as “brain capital” and “brain economy”, pointing out that in the era of generative AI, the human brain itself is becoming an increasingly central asset underpinning social prosperity and the future. In addition, the presentation outlined various factors that influence the development of brain capital and introduced concrete perspectives for supporting brain health beyond dementia prevention, including hearing care and engagement in the arts.

Going forward, HGPI will continue to build on dementia policy while looking beyond it, advancing discussions from a life-course perspective on brain health in collaboration with diverse stakeholders, and presenting policy options aimed at realizing a society in which everyone can fully express their potential.