The city of Obu, in Aichi Prefecture, has created an orange-colored "dementia help mark" to make it easier for people to talk to dementia sufferers in need of support.

The step was proposed by Ryuichi Takai, 74, who lost his father, who had dementia, in a train accident.

"I hope the help mark will become available nationwide to reduce as much as possible the number of people who have to feel the same kind of grief I did," Takai said.