TOKYO, Jun 25 (NNN-NHK) – The number of people reported missing in Japan came in at 84,910 in 2022, up for the second consecutive year, Japan’s National Police Agency, said.
The figure saw an increase of 5,692 from the previous year, according to the agency.
By age group, cases of missing people in their 20s saw the highest number, with those in their teens and 20s accounting for approximately 40 percent of all missing persons, the agency said, in its report.
During the period, 18,709 people in the country with dementia or suspected of having the disorder, were reported missing, according to the report.
Since comparable statistics became available in 2012, the number of reported cases of such missing has kept increasing over the years, according to the agency, adding that, the figure has almost doubled in a decade.
Many of those people were reported missing after they had wandered aimlessly due to dementia.
Local governments are asking family members of people with dementia or suspected of having dementia, to have them carry GPS devices, or to attach on their clothing small patches with QR codes printed with contact information, local media reported.
