Number of people who are aged 100 or older in Japan is at an all-time high of 107,677 people — and 88% are women
FOR the first time, the number of people who are 100 years old or older has surpassed 100,000 people, according to a new report from the country’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW), which health minister Kenichiro Ueno presented at a press conference on Sept. 15.
Of the record-breaking 107,677 centenarians, 94,298 are women (or 87.6%) and 13,379 are men (or 12.4%), Ueno explained.
“The factors contributing to the increase in the elderly population [include] improvements in living conditions, diet, nutrition and advances in medical technology,” Ueno told reporters at the press conference.
The health minister continued, “We are very pleased that so many people are able to remain active and healthy for so long.”
The total number of centenarians living in Japan has increased for 56 consecutive years.
Recently, Gerontology Research Group (GRG) recognized 114-year-old Fuyo Kishimoto as the oldest living person in Japan after MHLW announced the Aug. 27 death of 115-year-old Shigeko Kagawa.
Kagawa once chalked up her longevity to “walking and using your brain,” per online news outlets Công Luận and The Independent.
When she was younger, Kagawa walked a lengthy distance from home to a train that took her to school. As an adult, the former obstetrician and gynecologist routinely walked to patients’ homes to check on them.
“I think walking a lot since I was a child is the source of my energy today,” she once said, per Công Luận.
In April 2021 — at age 109 years and 11 months — Kagawa served as a torchbearer for the 2020 Olympic Games, which were delayed a year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, Japan’s oldest living man is 112-year-old Hikaru Kato.
MHLW’s recent report about the record number of living centenarians coincided with Japan’s Respect for the Aged Day, which celebrates longevity and honors older citizens’ lifetime contributions to society.
“We would like to congratulate those who have reached the age of 100 on their longevity and express our gratitude for their contributions to the development of society over many years,” the health minister said at the Sept. 15 press conference.
