One Sunday in the Omotesando district of Tokyo's Shibuya Ward, Katsunobu Machida, a 66-year-old dementia patient, was looking at a painting with his wife.

"It looks like a midday moon," said Machida, referring to the painting.

The scene seems like a typical weekend for a retired couple. But Machida was, in fact, undergoing art therapy for dementia patients. Machida, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2010, occasionally participates in art therapy, where dementia patients like him can freely express their views on paintings and other artworks together with others. In the sessions, which are open to those with and without dementia, a certified "art conductor" facilitates a 20-minute discussion among the participants.