Japan has more than 100,000 people over the age of 100
Women make up almost 88% of the record total, while economists warn that healthcare, pension and debt costs are rising.
- Japan reached a record milestone with 99,763 people aged 100 or over ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, marking the 55th consecutive year of growth. Women account for 87,784, or almost 88 per cent, of the total.
- Experts link this longevity to lifestyle factors including traditional Japanese diets, regular activity like Radio Taiso, and Ikigai—a sense of purpose. Strong social groups also provide essential emotional and practical support for aging residents.
- Research from a Tokyo study of 304 centenarians found only 2 per cent were classed as "exceptional," while 167, or 55 per cent, were "frail" and 76, or 25 per cent, were "fragile" due to physical and cognitive impairments.
- Authorities identified more than 230,000 unaccounted centenarians during a nationwide registry audit, raising pension fraud concerns. The discovery of Sogen Kato, believed to be Tokyo's oldest at 111, revealed he had died 32 years earlier.
- Economists warn that Japan's aging population deepens pressure on public finances, with public debt at about 207 per cent of GDP. To address labor shortages, companies are investing in robotics and automated building systems.
26 Articles
26 Articles
Japan Has More Centenarians Than Ever Before, and the Numbers Are Staggering
By now, it’s well publicized that Japan has a bit of an age discrepancy. The population is aging, and it isn’t getting steadily replaced by an influx of babies. Japan’s population is so old, in fact, that the nation now holds the half-impressive, half-dubious distinction of having more than 100,000 centenarians alive at the same […]
Japan has overcome for the first time in its history
The number of Japanese people aged 100 years or over exceeded 100,000 for the first time, reaching 107 thousand and 677, at a time when the country is experiencing a steady rise in the numbers of older persons and a decline in the population.
The country has 107,677 centennials: 7,914 more than in 2005; women account for almost 88 per cent of the total; the longest person is 114 years old.
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