Number of centenarians in Japan top 100,000 for first time

The number of centenarians in Japan reached 107,677 this year, up 7,914 from last year and topping the 100,000 mark for the first time, the health ministry said Tuesday.

Nearly all of them — 94,298 — were women.

The number of people who turned or are expected to turn 100 this year or before March 31 next year is 54,294, of whom 45,769 are women. They will receive congratulatory letters from the prime minister and silver-plated cups as gifts.

The number of centenarians in Japan has consistently been on the rise. In 1963, when the country enacted the Act on Social Welfare for the Elderly, there were just 153 centenarians nationwide. That figure topped 1,000 in 1981, 10,000 in 1998 and 50,000 in 2012.

The oldest person in Japan is Fuyo Kishimoto, of the city of Kyoto, who turned 114 last December. She became the oldest after the passing in August of Shigeko Kagawa, a resident in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture. Kawaga was 115.

The oldest man is Hikaru Kato in the city of Kumamoto, who turned 112 in May.

Japanese are among the longest-living people in the world, boasting an average life expectancy of 81.35 years for men and 87.33 years for women, ranking 7th and 1st in the world, respectively.

Experts cite a relatively healthy diet, low obesity and universal healthcare for Japan’s long life expectancy. The reasons why women live longer are not exactly known, but experts cite the low incidence of cardiovascular events before menopause and lower smoking rates among women as potential contributing factors.

With increasing ranks of super-aged people, making them age healthier has turned into a national mission. 

In 2019, the government set a goal of extending the healthy lifespan by three years for both men and women by 2040, compared with levels from 2016, when it stood at 72.14 years for men and 74.79 for women.

The health ministry announces the number of centenarians every year on Sept. 15, based on census data as of Sept. 1.