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The Japanese Ministry of Health announced that the number of centenarians in the country reached 99,763 as of September 1st, marking a new record for the 55th consecutive year, with an increase of 4,644 people compared to last year. The data indicates that women represent about 88% of this number, with 87,784 female centenarians.

Lifestyle

The Japanese government and health experts revealed that this continuous rise in the number of centenarians is attributed to a healthy lifestyle that includes proper nutrition, reliance on diets rich in vegetables and fish, regular exercise, quality healthcare, and lower stress levels, in addition to the impact of environmental factors such as air quality and the geographical nature of high and low areas. According to the Ministry of Health, the statistics were based on fundamental population registration data, as reported by the Japanese agency "Jiji Press."

Regional Disparities in Centenarian Rates

Shimane Prefecture recorded the highest rate of centenarians in the country, with 69.168 centenarians per 100,000 people, maintaining its lead for the thirteenth consecutive year. It was followed by Kochi and Tottori Prefectures with rates of 66.157 and 63.144 per 100,000 people, respectively. In contrast, Saitama recorded the lowest rate (50.48), followed by Aichi (53) and Osaka (44.55).

Historic Growth

It is worth mentioning that Japan began counting the number of centenarians in 1963, when there were only 153 individuals. The number surpassed 1,000 in 1981, then 10,000 in 1998, and 50,000 in 2012, reaching 90,000 in 2022, before nearing the 100,000 mark this year.

Oldest Centenarians

Shigeiko Kagawa, who is 114 years old and resides in Yamato-Koriyama City in Nara Prefecture, is the oldest living centenarian in Japan. The oldest male centenarian is Kyotaka Mizuno (111 years old), who lives in Iwata City in Shizuoka Prefecture.