75 Percent Unaware of Dementia Basic Law Enactment According to Japan Government Survey

From Jiji

October 10 2025

TOKYO – A Japanese government survey showed Friday that 75.8 pct of the respondents are unaware of the enactment of the country’s basic law on dementia.  

The result of the public opinion survey by the Cabinet Office revealed that public awareness in Japan remains low even more than a year and a half after the law’s enforcement in January 2024. 

Of the respondents, 16.4 pct said they are aware of the law’s enactment but do not know its content, while 4.5 pct and 1.0 pct said they know its content “to some extent” and “in detail,” respectively. 

Asked about how they would like to live if diagnosed with dementia, 49.6 pct said they want to live in their current local communities, including by receiving support from people around them and using medical and nursing care services. 

Meanwhile, 42.3 pct said they prefer to live in elderly homes or similar care facilities, and 3.8 pct said they want to live by themselves to avoid burdening others.