Japan’s population of people aged 100 and above has surpassed 100,000 for the first time, setting a new national record.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan had 107,677 registered centenarians as of September 1. This represents an increase of 7,914 from the previous year and marks the 56th consecutive annual record.
Women account for the overwhelming majority, with 94,298 centenarians, representing 87.6% of the total.
When Japan began recording the figures in 1963, only 153 people were aged 100 or older. The number exceeded 1,000 in 1981, 10,000 in 1998 and 50,000 in 2012.
Japan currently has 87.51 centenarians for every 100,000 people. Shimane Prefecture has the highest rate, with 186 centenarians per 100,000 people.
The country’s oldest woman is 114-year-old Fuyo Kishimoto from Kyoto Prefecture, while the oldest man is 112-year-old Hikaru Kato from Kumamoto Prefecture.
Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno welcomed the milestone, saying it was encouraging to see more people living active lives for longer. He also stressed the importance of extending the period of healthy living.
The increase in life expectancy comes as Japan faces a rapidly aging population and declining birth rate, placing growing pressure on the country’s workforce and social security system.
