Record Number of Centenarians
Japan has surpassed 100,000 people aged 100 or older for the first time, according to government figures released before Respect for the Aged Day on Monday. The total number of centenarians increased by 7,914 from the previous year to 107,677, marking the 56th consecutive year of growth. The rate stood at 87.51 per 100,000 inhabitants, as reported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.[S1]
The data, compiled as of September 1, showed that women make up about 88% of centenarians: 94,298 women compared with 13,379 men. The ministry also identified the oldest woman as Fuyo Kishimoto, a 114-year-old resident of Kyoto, and the oldest man as Hikaru Kato, a 112-year-old from Kumamoto.[S1]
Regional Patterns and Life Expectancy
Average life expectancy in Japan in 2025 was 87.33 years for women and 81.35 years for men, the ministry said. By prefecture, Shimane recorded the highest rate of centenarians at 186.65 per 100,000 inhabitants, holding the top spot for the 14th consecutive year. Saitama had the lowest rate at 51.27 per 100,000.[S1]
Tokyo has the largest absolute number of centenarians at 8,890, but its proportion relative to the total population is lower than in rural areas such as Shimane, standing at 62.4 per 100,000. When record-keeping began in 1963, Japan had 153 centenarians. The figure passed 1,000 in 1981 and 10,000 in 1998, a rise in longevity that experts mainly attribute to advances in medical technology and treatments.[S1]
