Number of Japanese Over 100 Years Old Exceeds 90,000 Setting New Record, Health Ministry Says

TOKYO (Sputnik) - The number of people aged 100 and over in Japan exceeded 90,000, which is the highest figure in the last 52 years, the Japanese Health Ministry said on Friday.

As of Thursday, the total number of Japanese citizens who turned 100 years old was 90,526, an increase of over 4,000 from last year, the ministry said ahead of the Japanese national holiday Respect for the Aged Day.

Japan has been updating records for this indicator for 52 years, starting from 310 people in 1970. It surpassed the mark of 90,000 for the first time, the ministry said, adding that over 80,000 of the centenarians are women, which is more than 88% of the total. The number of men is slightly over 10,000, according to the ministry.

The oldest woman in Japan is 115-year-old Fusa Tatsumi from Osaka prefecture, and the oldest man is 111-year-old Shigeru Nakamura from Hiroshima prefecture, the ministry said.

Respect for the Aged Day in Japan is held every third Monday of September. The national holiday is meant to honor all elderly citizens of the country for their many contributions to family and society throughout their long lives.