The number of people aged 100 or more in Japan has exceeded 100,000 for the first time, according to the health ministry.
Figures show Japan is now home to 107,677 centenarians, the highest number in the world, of which 88% are women. The oldest woman is Kishimoto Fuyo, a 114-year-old from Kyoto City and the oldest man is Kato Hikaru, a 112-year-old from Kumamoto.
Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said he was “delighted that so many people are living long, healthy and active lives”, citing progress in medicine and technology.
But Kenichiri also warned of the challenge the country faces in maintaining a sustainable social security system.
Experts put the long lives of the Japanese down to several factors, including a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.
The island nation’s cuisine predominantly consists of fish, vegetables, and rice – and less saturated fat than many Western diets.
Older people also regularly walk, use public transport, cycle and stretch.
Japan has been aging for years and sales of adult nappies have been higher than those for babies for more than a decade.
Companies have also developed new products for the older population, including a powered exoskeleton to support moving various parts of the body and eyewear that automatically adjusts its focus.
For a population to replace itself, each woman needs to give birth to 2.1 children on average. Last year Japan’s total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.14.
The total population is estimated to drop to 87 million by 2070, representing a 30% decline from its peak of 128 million in 2008, according to data from the National Institute of Population and Social Security research.
Residents aged 65 and older currently make up around 30% of the population and are expected to make up nearly 40% by 2070.
Japanese authorities have called the trend an “existential crisis” with Prime Minister Sanae Takichi describing the decline as a “quiet emergency”.
In 2025 Japan’s total population decreased in all 47 prefectures but two, and the rate of decline is accelerating.
The government’s many programmes and subsidies to encourage young people to have more children do not appear to be boosting birth rates.
Experts say the reasons are complex, ranging from lower marriage rates and more women joining the workforce to the increased costs of raising children.
While immigration has risen in previous years, foreigners only make up around 3% of the population and opposition to accepting more has grown.
When Japan began its centenarian survey in 1963, there were 153 people aged 100 or over. That figure rose to 1,000 in 1981 and stood at 10,000 by 1998.
The most recent figures were released ahead of Japan’s annual “Respect for the Aged” public holiday, on which the government honours those turning 100 with a personal letter and traditional sake cup.
Studies have previously cast doubt on the validity of global centenarian numbers, suggesting data errors, unreliable public records and missing birth certificates may account for elevated figures.
A government audit of family registries in Japan in 2010 uncovered more than 230,000 people listed as being aged 100 or older who were unaccounted for, some having died decades previously.
The miscounting was attributed to patchy record-keeping and suspicions that some families may have tried to hide the deaths of elderly relatives in order to claim their pensions.
By BBC News
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