There is a new focus on physical and mental drills to keep middle-aged and older people sharp as graying Japan grapples with rising levels of dementia.
The health ministry has forecast that the nation will have 7 million dementia sufferers in 2025.
"Full recovery from Alzheimer-type and cerebrovascular dementia is extremely difficult" as the problems get worse with age, said Masayoshi Okada, head of the Japanese Society of Endovascular Intervention. "Prevention . . . is important and conversation with family members and other people is also important for brain activation."