(Roughly) Daily

When records began in 1963 there were only 153 centenarians in Japan – now there are 107,677…

The number of people aged 100 or more in Japan has exceeded 100,000 for the first time, according to the health ministry.

Figures show Japan is now home to 107,677 centenarians, the highest number in the world, of whom 88% are women. The oldest woman is Kishimoto Fuyo, a 114-year-old from Kyoto City and the oldest man is Kato Hikaru, a 112-year-old from Kumamoto.

Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno said he was “delighted that so many people are living long, healthy and active lives”, citing progress in medicine and technology.

But Kenichiro also warned of the challenge the country faces in maintaining a sustainable social security system.

Experts put the long lives of the Japanese down to several factors, including a healthy diet and an active lifestyle.

The island nation’s cuisine predominantly consists of fish, vegetables, and rice – and less saturated fat than many Western diets.

Older people also regularly walk, use public transport, cycle and stretch.

Japan has been aging for years and sales of adult nappies have been higher than those for babies for more than a decade…

… Residents aged 65 and older currently make up around 30% of the population and are expected to make up nearly 40% by 2070.

Japanese authorities have called the trend an “existential crisis” with Prime Minister Sanae Takichi describing the decline as a “quiet emergency”.

In 2025 Japan’s total population decreased in all 47 prefectures but two, and the rate of decline is accelerating.

The government’s many programmes and subsidies to encourage young people to have more children do not appear to be boosting birth rates.

Experts say the reasons are complex, ranging from lower marriage rates and more women joining the workforce to the increased costs of raising children.

While immigration has risen in previous years, foreigners only make up around 3% of the population and opposition to accepting more has grown…

“More than 100,000 people in Japan are now aged 100 or older,” from @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social

Keep an eye out for the lovely, contemplative documentary The Oldest Person in the World (and here).

* Groucho Marx

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As we age, we might recall that it was on this date in 1964 that “Time Is on My Side,” written by Jerry Ragovoy and originally recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his Orchestra in 1963, was released as a single by The Rolling Stones in the US. (The song had also been released as a B-side by R&B singer Irma Thomas a month before the Stones’ version was issued.) The loosely arranged recording with an organ intro was included on the band’s American LP, 12 X 5, and a more tightly arranged version with a guitar intro was recorded in Chicago later that year and included on their second UK album, The Rolling Stones No. 2.

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