Long-livers are no longer uncommon in Japan – there are almost a hundred thousand of them, and the vast majority of them are women, who make up 88 per cent. The government said the country has set its own record for 55 consecutive years.
Health Minister Takamaro Fukoka personally congratulates each centenarian, recognising their contribution to society. Japan’s oldest resident is 114-year-old Shigeko Kagawa from Nara Prefecture, and the oldest man is 111-year-old Kietaka Mizuno from Iwata City.
For them, Senior Citizens’ Day, celebrated on 15 September, is turning into a real holiday. New centenarians receive letters and silver bowls from the Prime Minister.
One hundred to one hundred thousand
Half a century ago, there were only a few hundred long-livers in Japan: in 1963 there were 153.
By 1981, however, their number had grown to life
But the secret of Japanese longevity is not only in food. They remain active in old age: they walk, use public transport and regularly perform morning exercises Radio Taiso.
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These three-minute exercises, which have been around since 1928, bring people together in small groups, help maintain physical health and foster a sense of community.
Reality-adjusted statistics
The picture of longevity, however, is marred by small accounting errors.
In 2010, an audit of government registries found more than 230,000 “long-livers” who actually died decades ago. This is partly due to a flawed registration system and attempts by some families to hide the deaths of relatives for the sake of pensions.
However, these cases do not detract from the general trend: to appreciate.
This is the true art of living a long, full and harmonious life, and Japanese women show it to the world best.