The number of people aged 100 or older nationwide exceeds 100,000, setting a record high for the first time.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced on the 15th, just before Respect for the Aged Day, that the number of people aged 100 or older nationwide had risen to 107,677 (as of the 1st). This marks the 56th consecutive year that the number of visitors has reached a record high, and the number has exceeded 100,000 for the first time since statistics began being kept in 1963.

100-year-old Juichi Tamai, whose purpose in life is to “entertain everyone”, around origami crafts

Kenichiro Ueno, Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting on the same day, ``I'm glad that so many people are working in good health for a long time.It's also significant because it means they will be able to extend their healthy lifespans and become a support to society.''

Aggregation based on the Basic Resident Register. This is 7,914 more people than last year. There were 94,298 women, accounting for nearly 90% of the total.

The number of people over 100 years old per 100,000 people is 87.51. By prefecture, Shimane had the highest number of deaths for the 14th consecutive year at 186.65 people, followed by Kochi (169.52 people) and Tottori (152.48 people). Saitama had the lowest number of people at 51.27, followed by Aichi (57.79) and Osaka (60.06).

The oldest woman in Japan is Fuyo Kishimoto (114), born in 2011 (Meiji 44), in Kyoto City, and the oldest man is Hikaru Kato (112), born in 2014 (Taisho 3), in Kumamoto City. There are 54,294 people who will turn 100 this year, and those eligible will receive a congratulatory letter and a silver cup.

The number of people over 100 years old increased from 153 in 1963 to 1,000 in 1981 and to over 10,000 in 1998. The number reached 50,000 in 2012 and exceeded 90,000 in 2022.