Prognosis

The Unlikely Game That’s Helping Stave off Dementia in Seniors

Elderly pachinko players at Day Service Las Vegas, a casino-themed day care service in Japan’s Yokohama. The game has surprising benefits for seniors’ brains. 

Photographer: Noriko Hayashi/Bloomberg

Hi, it’s Eru in Tokyo. Catering to the elderly might be a solution for some declining businesses in Japan — including those involved with something called pachinko. Before we get into that…

Japan’s shrinking pachinko industry may get a new lease on life thanks to a surprising demographic: The elderly.