1. ABOUT US
(GLOCOM & DFJI)
“What kind of social infrastructure is
necessary for creating a society where
people with dementia can live a healthy and
positive life? “
“What type of new businesses could we
create through focusing on the needs and
wants around people with dementia? “
These are critical questions whose solutions have
been long sought. But the reality is, these
questions have been typically discussed mainly
amongst healthcare experts and caregivers…..
The DFJI is composed of people from private enterprises, local governments, academia,
NPOs, and dementia sufferers and their families. The questions we pose to ourselves are:
• “How should we approach the market today where ageing is a pressing issue and the
socially disadvantaged has increased?”
• “What can we do to change our company's culture that would make it better connected
with the rest of the society?”
• “How and where should we start to build and enhance relations with our stakeholders in
the future market?”
In 2011, the Center for Global Communications
at the International University of Japan
(GLOCOM) launched a new project on
dementia in collaboration with Fujitsu
Laboratories Ltd. and Dementia Friendship Club
(an NPO). The objectives of the project are to
have a better understanding of the impact of
dementia and think collectively among broader
and different stakeholder groups in the public
and private sectors in Japan. In 2013, the
project blossomed into a new private-sector-led
platform, “the Dementia Friendly JAPAN
Initiative” (DFJI).

2. Dementia Friendly
JAPAN Summit
In July of 2014, an industry-wide
national event, with dementia
friendliness as its main theme, was
held for the first time in Japan.
Some 200 people from the private
sector, local government officials,
researchers, NPO, people with
dementia and their families had
participated during the 2 days.
An interactive symposium and 11
participatory sessions with the
audience were held.
Below are the nine keywords for the
realization and promotion of a
dementia friendly society that were
introduced by the interactive sessions
with the participants.
★Listening to and Presenting the Voices
of People with Dementia
[1] A relationship of trust where their
thoughts can be communicated
[2] Producing many “social encounters”
[3] Place not specializing only in dementia
★Evaluating and accelerating efforts
[7] QOL of communities/meaning of life
[8] Individuals, groups/city/whole of society.
Goal setting for each of them.
[9] Creating incentives for promoting
efforts.
★Reflecting on how society works
[4] Extension of the thoughts of the people
involved. Regarded as other people's
problems.
[5] State level～community association unit,
working to reflect on each level
[6] To businesses where Individuals in
companies realize, take action, and
continue
The three columns to the right are the
nine keywords for the realization and
promotion of a dementia friendly
society that were introduced by the
interactive sessions with the
participants.

3. RUN-TOMO
Connecting through the sash
2,500 km
Through running with a single sash to be passed on,
both people with dementia and people without
dementia will run towards the goal line. We ran
2,500 km in 2014.
“Run Tomo” is a social movement that was begun in
2011, whose aim is to realize a dementia friendly
society. People with dementia, their families, friends,
young people, and elderly people will together run a
short distance, and traverse the Japan islands by
passing on the sash to the next person.
It started as a tiny movement where 171 people ran
a distance of 300km from Hakodate to Sapporo in
Hokkaido. 3 years later in 2014, it has expanded into
a huge project involving 4,500 people, running a
total distance of 2,500km from Hokkaido to
Hiroshima.
Start
Goal

4. FUJINOMIYA Project
Bridging Communities
Sharing Our Memories
(Historypin.jp)
In the winter of 2014, high
school students from
Shizuoka prefectural
Fugakukan, set up an
interactive event involving
local senior citizens, using
old photos from Fujinomiya.
This interactive event was
held in the shopping district
of Fujinomiya Eki Mae Dori.
We will show this event that
was held in Fujinomiya in a
video.
Through photos, efforts to create a place where trans-generational exchange,
including senior citizens with dementia, can engage in exchanges.

6. Project of Fragrance
●Fragrance to Enrich the Quality of Life for People With Dementia
Using “fragrances”, we enrich the quality of life of senior citizens including those with dementia.
Fragrances have the power to call back emotions connected to past memories, and has the
potential to uplift the mood. People with dementia, may benefit by enjoying fragrances in
everyday life.
●The History of Incense
The history of incense began when people started cooking with fire. In every civilization, there
was a custom of burning incense. Perfume (parfum in French) originally meant “to permeate with
smoke.” Incense can therefore be said to be the origin of perfume. The incense culture is shared
worldwide, and the sophisticated culture of incense spread from the Eurasian West to the East
through the Silk Road. Then in the Asuka period （6th century), it was introduced to Japan along
with Buddhism. During the Muromachi period (15th century), incense ceremony was regarded as
one of the three traditional cultures of Japan, along with tea ceremony and flower arrangement.
●Actual Case of How Incense Was Utilized
Since the Incense Research Institute founded in January of 2011, we have been conducting
regular workshops utilizing incense at senior citizens facilities in Setagaya ward, a residential
area in Tokyo. It has proven to be quite popular.
●New Project “A Walk Through the Aromatic Seasonal Flowers and Trees”
“A Walk Through the Aromatic Seasonal Flowers and Trees,” is planned to start from the spring of
2015. At various locations throughout Japan (such as the “Lotus Scent” in Gyoda shi ,Saitama
prefecture, or in the cypress and cedar forests in Aomori), people with or without dementia and
children will be matched up in trans-generational groups, and will go on walks together to
experience the fragrances in nature unique to the location, and encouraged to freely express their
impressions artistically. The image each person receives upon encountering the fragrances of
flowers and plants is unique. In the future, we would like to expand the events to every prefecture
of Japan and organize art contests inspired by fragrance at museums every year.