The island nation has reached a record number of people over 100 years old, with almost 90% of them being women. This is reported by UNN with reference to NHK and DW.
Details
Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has confirmed that the number of centenarians nationwide has reached over 99,000. This is the highest number ever recorded in 55 consecutive years of observations.
Compared to 2024, this number has increased. According to the Basic Resident Register, as of the 1st of this month, the number of centenarians living in Japan has increased by 4,644 people compared to last year.
Women account for 88% of the total, specifically 87,784 individuals, while the number of male centenarians is 11,979.
The oldest person in Japan is Shigeko Kagawa. The woman from Yamato-Koriyama city, Nara Prefecture (western Japan), near Kyoto, has reached 114 years of age.
The other side of the coin
Amidst the cause for celebration, the aforementioned figures also reveal the reality of Japan's aging population, as observation data shows it has been shrinking for several years, putting the country on the brink of a demographic crisis.
Recall
In July 2025, it became known that the world's oldest marathon runner, Fauja Singh, died in India after being hit by a car.
116-year-old Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, recognized as the oldest person in the world by Guinness World Records, died of old age.