|
Japan's centenarians at record high of 36,276
2008-09-12
TOKYO - The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has more than doubled during the past six years to a record high of more than 36,000 this year, with women dominating the centenarian club, the government said Friday. Japan will have 36,276 people aged 100 years or older at the end of September, surpassing last year's 32,295. Female centenarians comprised 86 percent of the total, the Health and Welfare Ministry said in an annual report ahead of the Sept. 15 national holiday honoring the elderly. Each new centenarian will receive a letter from the prime minister and a silver cup. Japan has one of the world's longest life expectancies -- nearly 86 years for women and 79 years for men. The number of centenarians has been on the rise for nearly 40 years, and accelerating its pace after surpassing 10,000 in 1998, the ministry said. Japan's centenarian population is expected to reach nearly 1 million -- the world's largest -- by 2050, according to U.N. projections. Though centenarians are more active than before, the rapidly graying population has added to concerns about Japan's overburdened public pension system. A 113-year-old woman from the southern island of Okinawa, whose name was not disclosed, holds the national title. Though her daily activities require assistance, she enjoys going outside in a wheelchair with a nurse, the ministry said. The oldest man, Tomoji Tanabe, 112, from another southern prefecture, Miyazaki, is health conscious. He rises early, reads newspapers every morning and drinks milk in the afternoon, and keeps a diary every evening. Okinawa has the highest concentration, with 838 centenarians, or 61 for every 100,000 people. That is far above a nationwide average of just over 28 per 100,000. The ratio for Tokyo is about 25 in 100,000, and that for the U.S. is about 10 per 100,000.
|  |
 Obama welcomes AARP backing of health care bill (2009-11-05) | | Social Security freeze means seniors must scrimp (2009-10-16) | | Obama calls for $250 payments to seniors (2009-10-14) | | Age and higher premiums go together: Is it fair? (2009-09-29) | | World's oldest person dies in California at 115 (2009-09-13) | | Japan's century club swells to more than 40,000 (2009-09-11) | | Allingham, world's oldest man, laid to rest (2009-07-30) | | Woman, 89, famous for keeping boy's football, sues (2009-01-01) | | Oldest man in the US dies in Sacramento at 112 (2008-12-29) | | Unretired: Retirees are Back, Looking for Work (2008-12-06) | | Indiana woman dies at 115 as world's oldest person (2008-11-28) |  Japan's centenarians at record high of 36,276 (2008-09-12) | | Laboring longer is growing trend for Americans (2008-08-31) | | Woman, 97, says cat's yowling saved her from fire (2008-08-01) | | How to Enjoy a Scam-Free Retirement (2008-07-05) | | Older Japanese go online in search of love (2008-05-01) | | The oldest Americans are also the happiest, research finds (2008-04-20) | | Despite myth, old age is the happiest time, research says (2008-04-18) | | Study: Boomers to flood medical system (2008-04-14) | | Naked German seniors star in post-9/11 Verdi opera (2008-04-11) | | Older Americans wealthier, living longer (2008-03-29) | | Woman applying for new ID says she's 120 (2008-02-14) | | To U.S. seniors, age does matter in presidential vote (2008-02-05) | | Half of China's urban elderly live alone (2008-01-30) | | Doctors discuss theories on aging brains (2007-10-16) |
|
|
|
|
|
