Japan Has 65,692 People Who Are Over 100 Years Old

Japan’s welfare ministry has announced on Tuesday that 65,692 citizens are at least 100 years of age.

According to The Japan Times, this year’s tally is an estimate for September 15, Respect for the Elderly Day. Meanwhile, the figure is based on resident registry data as of September 1.

There were 8,167 male centenarians, up 327 from last year. The oldest man is Masamitsu Yoshida, 112, a resident of Ota Ward, Tokyo. He was born in May 1904.

Meanwhile, there were 57,525 female centenarians, up 3,797 from last year. The oldest woman is Nabi Tajima, 116, a resident of Kikai, Kagoshima Prefecture. She was born in August 1900.

“I think having balanced meals and eating well are the keys to living long,” Tajima’s 52-year-old granddaughter said.

Based on the tally, nearly 52 per 100,000 people are centenarians. The highest concentration is in Shimane Prefecture, with 96.25 per 100,000 people.

Officials began comparing data in 1963, when only 153 centenarians were recorded. The number grew above 10,000 in 1998, topped 30,000 in 2007, exceeded 50,000 in 2012 and now, surpassed 60,000.

It is projected that 31,747 more people will enter the group this fiscal year.

In the past, the Japanese government gifted centenarians with silver cups in the prime minister’s name, but has switched to silver-plated cups in recent years to lower costs.

Japan’s aging phenomenon is no surprise. Researchers from Tohoku University have recently come up with a doomsday clock, predicting the country’s end based on falling fertility rates and aging population.

The doomsday is set on August 16, 3766, Metro reported. That’s about 1,750 years from now.

While we can root for citizens successful at masking their age, there’s definitely a bigger problem here.

Japan, the clock is ticking.