Record high 17,636 people went missing in Japan due to dementia in 2021

TOKYO — A report superior of 17,636 individuals went lacking due to dementia final year, marking the ninth consecutive 12 months the quantity has risen given that stats began in 2012, Japan’s National Law enforcement Agency declared on June 23.

The figure was up 71 from the earlier 12 months. Of the 9,631 males and 8,005 girls who were being noted lacking to police, 236 could not be positioned for the duration of 2021, 22 much more individuals than in 2020. By prefecture, Osaka experienced the highest number of missing people with dementia, at 1,895, followed by Saitama at 1,875, Hyogo at 1,804, Kanagawa at 1,604 and Aichi at 1,542.

Together with people described missing just before 2021, 17,538 individuals ended up situated throughout 2021. Of these, 16,977 had been discovered alive by law enforcement or family users, 450 were being located dead, and 111 reports had been withdrawn. 

As for the timing of locating lacking persons, 99.4% ended up found within just a week and 73.9% had been identified on the working day of the report. Six men and women had been located one to two many years following being documented missing, and 4 were being situated additional than two decades later on.

In one scenario, a guy in his 80s was discovered alive in a riverbed dependent on locale data of a GPS gadget that the Takasaki Municipal Federal government in Gunma Prefecture lends cost-free of charge to more mature individuals with dementia. The male had a GPS device hanging from a neck strap.

In a different circumstance, the Unzen Municipal Govt in Nagasaki Prefecture broadcast a missing aged man’s description in excess of its wi-fi catastrophe warning method to simply call for info, which led to the person’s whereabouts remaining verified.

The total range of men and women reported lacking, like people not suffering from dementia, was 79,218, an boost of 2,196 from 2020. Amongst these, dementia accounted for the most significant proportion of situations at 22.3%.

(Japanese first by Naritake Machida, Tokyo City News Division)