In Japan, nearly 100 thousand people are over 100 years old: secrets of longevity

According to glavcom.ua: Thus, in Japan, there are 87,784 women and 11,979 men who have reached the age of 100. The oldest person is 114-year-old Shigeko Kagawa, who lives in a suburb of Nara. Meanwhile, the oldest man is 111-year-old Kiyotaka Mizuno from the coastal city of Iwata.

The Japanese government reported that as of September, there are 99,763 people in the country over 100 years old, 88% of whom are women. This was reported by the BBC, citing data from the Japanese Ministry of Health, as reported by 'Glavcom'.

The ministry published this data ahead of the Day of the Elderly, celebrated in Japan on September 15. On this holiday, new centenarians receive a congratulatory letter and a silver cup from the Prime Minister. This year, 52,310 people will be congratulated.

Japan has the longest life expectancy in the world, and the country is also known for frequently having the oldest person in the world. However, this was not always the case. In the 1960s, Japan had the smallest proportion of people over 100 among all G7 countries.

.the BBC notes that the longer life expectancy in Japan is attributed to a lower number of deaths from heart disease and prevalent forms of cancer, including breast and prostate cancer.

Also, due to a diet low in red meat and high in fish and vegetables, Japanese people suffer less from obesity. In addition, older Japanese usually walk more and use public transport more frequently than their European and American peers, notes the British broadcaster.

However, some researchers question the accuracy of the data. They suggest that the numbers may be inflated due to unreliable public records and the lack of birth certificates.

In 2010, a government audit of family registries in Japan confirmed inaccurate counting. It is suspected that some families may have deliberately concealed the death of elderly relatives to continue receiving their pensions.

Recall that at the age of 102, a Japanese man conquered Mount Fuji - the highest point in the country at 3776 m and set a world record as the oldest man to climb this peak.

The report that nearly 100 thousand people live in Japan who have exceeded the age of 100 indicates impressive life expectancy figures in this country. Diet and an active lifestyle play a huge role in achieving longevity, but there is also doubt about the reality of these figures due to possible shortcomings in the registration of such information.