The Number Of Japanese Citizens Aged 100 Years Reaches 99,763 People

UNSPLASH/TASHI Watanabe ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - The number of Japanese citizens aged 100 years or more has risen again for the 55th year in a row to reach a record 99,763 people.

The Ministry of Health, Manpower, and Welfare estimates that the number of elderly people aged 100 years and over will increase by 4,644 people compared to a year ago as of September 15.

Reported by ANTARA from Kyodo, Friday, September 12, this data was released ahead of the Honorary Day of the Elderly which falls next Monday.

Women accounted for about 88 percent of the total, namely 87,784 people, while men aged 100 years or more were recorded at 11,979 people.

The oldest person in Japan is Shigeko Kagawa, a 114-year-old woman from Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture. While the oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111 years old, from Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture.

There are on average 80.58 residents aged 100 years per 100,000 population. Shimane Prefecture in western Japan occupies the top position for 13 consecutive years, with 168.69 per 100,000 population.

The government began surveying 100-year-olds in 1963, when the number was only 153 people. That figure broke through 1,000 in 1981 and 10,000 in 1998.

According to ministry data, the average life expectancy of Japanese people in 2024 will reach 87.13 years for women and 81.09 years for men.