A: Hey there, did you catch the news about Japan?
B: Nope, what's up?
A: Turns out, a lot of people with dementia were found dead near rivers last year!
B: Whoa, really? That's terrible. Where did they wander off?
A: Police got 18,000 reports about people going missing, but thankfully most were found alive. Sadly, around 500 didn't make it.
B: That's a big number... Where were they mostly found dead?
A: Most bodies were found near rivers and dry riverbeds, but also in canals, mountains, forests, and so on. Drowning or slipping seems to be the cause.
B: That's awful. Which region had the most cases?
A: Osaka had the highest number of missing people, followed by a few other prefectures. The police are using GPS and drones now to find them quickly!
B: Oh, that's good! I hope more people can be found safely. And, those GPS devices attached to clothes sound handy too.
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The largest number of people with dementia or suspected dementia who were discovered dead after going missing in Japan were found in river areas.



The National Police Agency said in 2024 police nationwide received 18,121 reports of people with dementia or suspected dementia going missing after wandering away. The figure was 918 less than the previous year.



Of the people reported missing nationwide, 16,877 -- or 93 percent -- were later confirmed to be alive, while 491 were found dead.



An NPA analysis of the locations where the deceased were found shows that 382 people -- or more than 77 percent -- died within 5 kilometers of where they went missing.



Among the 491 dead, the largest number of bodies -- 115 -- were found in locations such as rivers and dry riverbeds. A total of 79 were discovered in irrigation canals and gutters, while 71 were found in mountains and forests.



It is believed that causes of death included drowning as well as slipping and falling.



Osaka Prefecture in western Japan recorded the largest number of missing people at 2,086. That was followed by the eastern Japan prefectures of Kanagawa with 1,907 and Saitama with 1,812. Aichi Prefecture in central Japan recorded 1,476 while Hyogo Prefecture in western Japan followed with 1,454.



There were 111 cases in which missing people were reportedly located with the help of GPS devices attached to items such as clothing and shoes.



The NPA is therefore urging police throughout the country to find missing people as quickly as possible by using technology such as GPS and drones.