As Expected, But Still Surprising... Nearly 100,000 Centenarians in Japan

The oldest is Shigeko Kagawa, aged 114
Women outnumber men by 7.3 times
"Influenced by advances in medical care and increased health awareness"

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The number of centenarians in Japan has increased for the 55th consecutive year, approaching 100,000.

According to local media reports on September 12, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare announced that as of September 1, ahead of Respect for the Aged Day (September 15), the number of people aged 100 or older was counted at 99,736, an increase of 4,644 compared to the previous year.

With this, the population of centenarians has continued to grow for 55 years. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been tallying the number of people aged 100 or older every year ahead of Respect for the Aged Day since 1963. The number surpassed 1,000 in 1981, exceeded 10,000 in 1998, and went over 50,000 in 2012.

By gender, there are 87,784 women aged 100 or older, which is 7.3 times more than the 11,979 men. There are 80.58 centenarians per 100,000 people. The oldest person is Shigeko Kagawa, a 114-year-old woman living in Nara Prefecture. Among men, the oldest is Kiyotaka Mizuno, a 111-year-old living in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported that "the number of centenarians continues to rise due to advances in medical care and increased health awareness," and projected that in fiscal year 2025 (April 2025 to March 2026), the number of people turning 100 or already aged 100 will reach 52,310, which is 4,422 more than in fiscal year 2024.