|
|
Japanese Centenarians to Hit Record High
Reuters
Japan
September 14, 2004
In another sign that Japan's population is rapidly ageing, the number of people aged 100 or older is expected to reach a record high of 23,038 by the end of September, the Health Ministry says.
The number of centenarians increased by 2,477 from last year, meaning that for every 100,000 Japanese, there are 18.05 people aged 100 or over.
The oldest person in Japan is a 114-year-old woman, Ura Koyama.
Women will account for 85 percent of all Japanese centenarians at the end of September, according to the data which was released on Tuesday ahead of next Monday's Respect for the Elderly Day, a public holiday.
Japan's population is greying at one of the world's quickest paces, with one in five citizens now aged 65 or over, the highest percentage among industrialised nations. It has the world's highest life expectancy, at 78 years for men and 85 for women.
Scientists have attributed Japanese longevity to factors including a varied diet and exercise.
Toyo Naoi, for example, turns 100 in January. She cooks three meals a day and tries to eat 30 different kinds of food every day, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) daily said.
Tsuta Hoshino, who turns 100 on September 22, says she feels completely healthy thanks to her daily routine of tying a 1.0 kg (2.2 lb) sandbag to her ankles and lifting them, according to the Nikkei.
The oldest person in the world is a 114-year-old Dutch woman, who is senior to Koyama by two months. The oldest man is a 113-year-old American.
|
|
