Japan has reached a record 99,763 centenarians as of September 1, with women accounting for roughly 88 percent, marking the 55th consecutive year the country has hit this milestone.
According to Japanese media, the number of people aged 100 or older increased by 4,644 from the previous year. Japan’s oldest woman is 114-year-old Kagawa Shigeko, and the oldest man is 111-year-old Mizuno Kiyotaka.
The government began tracking centenarians in 1963, when only 153 people were registered. Today, Japan consistently ranks among the countries with the highest likelihood of living to 100, second only to Hong Kong, according to the United Nations.
Health experts attribute Japan’s longevity, with an average life expectancy of 84.5 years, to lifestyle factors and a strong healthcare system. Each year, the Japanese prime minister sends a congratulatory letter and gift to those turning 100, honoring their contributions to society and promoting awareness of elderly welfare.
This year, more than 52,000 people are eligible for the award, which will be presented at a commemorative event next week. The celebration comes as Japan faces challenges related to an ageing population and declining birth rates, with the number of births falling for the 16th consecutive year.
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Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 17 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in the field of health.
Doctors in St. Louis have successfully separated Ethiopian two-year-old twin girls who were born joined at the head after a months-long series of complex operations culminating in a nearly 25-hour final procedure, doctors said on Wednesday.
Tobacco use may significantly reduce fertility in both men and women, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) publication that highlights growing evidence linking smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke with reproductive health problems.
A record-breaking heatwave that swept across western Europe in late June has been linked to more than 10,000 excess deaths, according to newly released mortality data, highlighting the growing human toll of extreme temperatures across the continent.
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