6 some impact on their work, while in Canada, burnout, depression, and financial hardship among caregivers are widely documented. A shortage of trained professionals is also a shared concern. In Japan, many rural areas lack sufficient specialist staff, while in Canada, only two in five family physicians feel well-prepared to manage dementia cases. As aging populations drive greater demand for care, building and sustaining an adequate workforce is an urgent priority for both countries. Diagnostic pathways also differ markedly. Japan has established clear care pathways that guide individuals from diagnosis through to ongoing support, and medical services are generally accessible without long delays. In Canada, the average wait from symptom onset to diagnosis and treatment is 28 months. Given that early diagnosis and intervention can slow the progression of dementia, this gap has direct implications for the quality of life of patients and their families. In terms of timely access to diagnosis, Canada has much to learn from Japan's approach.share the challenge of supporting an aging population with inadequate professional resources and an over-reliance on informal caregivers. In Japan, approximately one in eight people aged 65 and older is currently living with dementia; in Canada, the figure is roughly one in eleven. These numbers will continue to grow. Regardless of differences in systems or cultural context, the importance of building societies that can support people living with dementia is a shared imperative. Meeting this challenge requires an accurate understanding of current realities and a sustained commitment to reviewing and improving the policies and systems in place.Common Challenges The most significant challenge shared by both countries is the heavy reliance on family members and informal caregivers to provide dementia care. Despite the existence of public systems and support services, care in practice continues to depend largely on families, placing a considerable burden on caregivers that affects their daily lives and professional responsibilities. In Japan, 50–77% of people caring for a family member with dementia report Key Differences The two countries differ considerably in how their dementia care systems are structured. In Japan, care is organized around the public long-term care insurance system, with the national and local governments taking the lead. In Canada, non-profit organizations such as the Alzheimer Society play a central role, while healthcare delivery is managed at the provincial level. That said, regional disparities in service quality and availability exist in both countries, meaning neither has fully achieved consistent, equitable access to care. What emerges from this comparison is that improving systems alone is not sufficient to address the challenges of dementia care. Japan has a well-developed public care infrastructure, yet some regions remain underserved, and the burden on family caregivers persists. Canada has built a flexible, culturally responsive support network, yet systemic fragmentation remains a structural obstacle. Both countries face the challenge of closing the gap between policy and practice. This paper has examined the current state of dementia and related policies in Japan and Canada, comparing the two countries across key areas of commonality and difference. While the structure of care systems and diagnostic frameworks differ significantly, both nations Comparison and DiscussionConclusion
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