Prime Minister Taro Aso has taken a jab at senior citizens and people with dementia by using the term "haikai rojin" (disoriented old man) during an Upper House Budget Committee meeting.
I have been "mistaken for a disoriented old man while out for a morning walk" Aso said Monday while responding to a question about health care for the elderly by Liberal Democratic Party Councilor Kenji Ogiwara. "I walk fast now and no one mistakes me any longer."
Haikai rojin can have negative connotations and smacks of discrimination when describing seniors with memory problems.
Depending on the context, the remark could suggest Aso lacks compassion for the elderly.