The number of centenarians in Japan has been rising for the 55th consecutive year, reaching a record 99.763, the government announced.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, as of September 15th, the number of people over 100 years old increased by 4.644 compared to last year.
Women make up about 88 percent of the total number, or 87.784, while male centenarians number 11.979.
The oldest person in Japan is Shigeko Kagawa, a 114-year-old woman living in the city of Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture. The oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111 years old, from the city of Iwata in Shizuoka Prefecture.
On average, there are 80.58 centenarians per 100.000 inhabitants in Japan. Shimane Prefecture in the west of the country has been first on the list for 13 consecutive years, with an average of 168.69 centenarians per 100.000 inhabitants.
The government began recording centenarians in 1963, when there were only 153. The number exceeded 1.000 in 1981 and reached 10.000 in 1998.
According to ministry data, in 2024, the average life expectancy in Japan was 87.13 years for women and 81.09 for men.
