Japan breaks record: how are so many residents passing the age of 100?

Japan has surpassed 100,000 centenarians for the first time, with 107,677 residents aged 100 and over. 94,298 of them are women. This continues a 56-year trend. Japan's health minister points to improvements in living conditions, diet, and medicine. The article features the story of Shigeko Kagawa, who died at 115, as evidence of the importance of physical and mental activity.

Japan has surpassed 100,000 centenarians for the first time, with 107,677 residents aged 100 and over. 94,298 of them are women. This continues a 56-year trend. Japan's health minister, Kenichiro Ono, points to improvements in living conditions, diet, and medicine as factors for the increase. The article features the story of Shigeko Kagawa, who died at 115, who walked long distances in her childhood and remained professionally active into her 80s. In April 2021, when she was nearly 110, she participated as an Olympic torchbearer. The oldest person in Japan today is Fuyu Kishimoto, aged 114. The oldest man is Hikaru Kato, aged 112. The article raises a broader question: how many centenarians manage to remain active and functional.

Japan breaks record: how are so many residents passing the age of 100?