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Number of Japanese living past 100 growing fast
TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 25,000 Japanese will be aged over 100 by the end of the month, compared with just 153 four decades ago, the government said on Tuesday, in a striking illustration of the speed at which the country is aging.
The statistics, released by the Health Ministry ahead of the Respect for the Aged national holiday on Monday, throw a spotlight on the pressure Japan faces to fund pensions and health care, with a shrinking work force supporting the growing number of retirees.
Of the 25,606 people aged over 100 -- about one in every 5,000 Japanese -- more than 80 percent of are women. Japan's female populace has been the longest-lived in the world for 20 years, according to government figures.
Experts have attributed their longevity to a range of factors including diet, high standards of health care and the close-knit structure of rural communities.
"Don't eat too much," said 90-year-old Noboru Fukushima, strolling in the Sugamo area of the capital, when asked about the secrets of long life. "Eat in moderation and chew a lot. Then you will be satisfied and get enough nourishment."
There are wide variations in the percentage of people over 100, depending on location within Japan.
The southern island chain of Okinawa has more than 51 centenarians per 10,000 people, while Tokyo has around 20 and the commuter suburb of Saitama prefecture, adjacent to the capital, has 9.8.
Japan's oldest person is 112-year-old Yone Minagawa, who lives on the southernmost main island of Kyushu. Minagawa, who was born in 1893, raised her five children on her own after her husband died.
The country's oldest man, 110-year-old Nijiro Tokuda, also lives on Kyushu.
Elizabeth Bolden, 115, of Tennessee in the United States, is the world's oldest person, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The ministry said in its report it wanted to congratulate the 12,703 people due to turn 100 this financial year and would send them a gift and a message from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
While many centenarians are bedridden, the report paid tribute to the active elderly.
A list of "notable elderly people" published along with the statistics on Tuesday included 99-year-old Ryuji Sasaki, who works as a gardener, and 100-year-old Takatomi Naito, who enjoys a round of golf with his wife, after taking up the game at age 68.
TOKYO (Reuters) - More than 25,000 Japanese will be aged over 100 by the end of the month, compared with just 153 four decades ago, the government said on Tuesday, in a striking illustration of the speed at which the country is aging.
The statistics, released by the Health Ministry ahead of the Respect for the Aged national holiday on Monday, throw a spotlight on the pressure Japan faces to fund pensions and health care, with a shrinking work force supporting the growing number of retirees.
Of the 25,606 people aged over 100 -- about one in every 5,000 Japanese -- more than 80 percent of are women. Japan's female populace has been the longest-lived in the world for 20 years, according to government figures.
Experts have attributed their longevity to a range of factors including diet, high standards of health care and the close-knit structure of rural communities.
"Don't eat too much," said 90-year-old Noboru Fukushima, strolling in the Sugamo area of the capital, when asked about the secrets of long life. "Eat in moderation and chew a lot. Then you will be satisfied and get enough nourishment."
There are wide variations in the percentage of people over 100, depending on location within Japan.
The southern island chain of Okinawa has more than 51 centenarians per 10,000 people, while Tokyo has around 20 and the commuter suburb of Saitama prefecture, adjacent to the capital, has 9.8.
Japan's oldest person is 112-year-old Yone Minagawa, who lives on the southernmost main island of Kyushu. Minagawa, who was born in 1893, raised her five children on her own after her husband died.
The country's oldest man, 110-year-old Nijiro Tokuda, also lives on Kyushu.
Elizabeth Bolden, 115, of Tennessee in the United States, is the world's oldest person, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
The ministry said in its report it wanted to congratulate the 12,703 people due to turn 100 this financial year and would send them a gift and a message from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
While many centenarians are bedridden, the report paid tribute to the active elderly.
A list of "notable elderly people" published along with the statistics on Tuesday included 99-year-old Ryuji Sasaki, who works as a gardener, and 100-year-old Takatomi Naito, who enjoys a round of golf with his wife, after taking up the game at age 68.