Japan Nears 100,000 Centenarians as Longer Lives Reshape an Aging Nation

A record 99,763 people aged 100 or older

Japan has counted 99,763 residents aged 100 or older in government figures prepared ahead of Respect for the Aged Day in mid September 2025. The total marks a record for the 55th consecutive year, bringing the country close to a milestone that reflects both longer lives and the growing demands of an aging society.

Women account for about 88 percent of the total, with 87,784 female centenarians compared with 11,979 men. Japan's oldest person is Shigeko Kagawa, a woman aged 114 who lives in Yamatokoriyama, Nara Prefecture. Its oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, aged 111, from the coastal city of Iwata in Shizuoka Prefecture.

The national count amounts to 80.58 centenarians for every 100,000 residents. Shimane Prefecture has the highest rate, at 168.69, and has led the country for 13 consecutive years. Saitama has the lowest rate, at 45.81. Those differences reflect the age of local populations as well as the conditions in which people live.

The annual tally uses the resident registration system, with mid September as its benchmark, following the approach used in previous years. The government has prepared congratulations for 52,310 people reaching 100 this year. New centenarians typically receive a letter and a silver cup from the prime minister.

Japan's achievement reaches beyond the number of birthdays celebrated. Longer lives mean more time with families and communities, while a shrinking population leaves fewer younger people to support expanding care needs. The practical task is to help people remain healthy, connected and independent for as much of their longer lives as possible.

How the total grew from 153 to nearly 100,000

Japan began counting centenarians in 1963, when just 153 people were recorded as aged 100 or older. The total has climbed over six decades, passing successive milestones as more people survived into very old age.

The historical figures show how the scale has changed:

• 1963: The first count recorded 153 centenarians.
• 1981: The total crossed 1,000.
• 1998: The count passed 10,000.
• 2012: Japan reached 50,000 centenarians.
• 2022: The total exceeded 90,000.
• September 2024: The count stood at 95,119.
• September 2025: The latest total reached 99,763.

The 2025 figure is 4,644 higher than the September 2024 count, an increase of about 4.9 percent. Japan now has almost twice as many centenarians as the 50,000 recorded in 2012.

The rise also changes the scale of the country's annual recognition of older residents. A celebration once involving a small group now reaches tens of thousands of people turning 100, while many others have already lived beyond that birthday.

Why the map of longevity is uneven

Western prefectures dominate the centenarian rankings. Shimane leads, followed by Kochi, Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Nagano. At the lower end are Saitama, Aichi, Chiba, Tokyo and Osaka.

Local diets and lifestyles help shape these patterns, alongside the age structure of each community. Rural prefectures tend to have older populations. Large urban areas attract younger workers and families, lowering the proportion of residents who are past 100 even where the number of centenarians is substantial.

Shimane's rate of 168.69 centenarians per 100,000 residents is more than twice the national figure of 80.58. Saitama's rate of 45.81 is a little over half the national figure. A rate measures the share of a population, allowing places of different sizes to be compared.

Kyotango, a coastal city in northern Kyoto Prefecture, offers a local example. It has 115 residents aged 100 or older and a population described as about 52,000. Its reported centenarian rate is 228.49 per 100,000 people, around three times the national average.

Residents and local officials point to vegetables grown locally, fresh fish and strong community ties as habits that contribute to long lives. Kyotango also illustrates how population decline affects these comparisons. When the total population shrinks, centenarians can account for a larger share even if their own number changes little. The denominator, meaning the population against which they are counted, has become smaller.

The habits and health care behind longer lives

Japan's position as a world leader in life expectancy rests on several connected factors: everyday habits, prevention and access to early medical care. Food is often the starting point. Many Japanese meals center on fish, soy, vegetables, seaweed and rice, with smaller portions of red meat.

Public health campaigns have spent decades encouraging people to eat less salt to reduce high blood pressure and stroke. That effort is widely regarded as a success. Japan also has some of the lowest obesity rates among industrialized nations, alongside fewer deaths from heart disease and certain common cancers, including breast and prostate cancer.

Older adults often build movement into ordinary routines by walking, cycling short distances and taking public transport. Radio Taiso, a simple calisthenics routine lasting three minutes, has remained a familiar morning activity in parks and community centers since its introduction in 1928. It requires no equipment and is easy to follow.

Group exercise also creates opportunities to meet other people. Regular contact through neighbors, clubs and volunteer groups helps maintain mental sharpness, mood and a sense of purpose in later life. Physical activity and social participation can therefore support each other.

Universal health coverage gives people access to regular checkups and treatment for chronic conditions. Cancer screening and treatment for high blood pressure are widely available. These services help extend the years when people can function well and slow the progression of illnesses that often shorten life.

Women account for nearly nine in 10 centenarians

Women have consistently made up the large majority of Japan's centenarians. The latest totals, 87,784 women and 11,979 men, continue that pattern. Several differences in health and lifetime exposure to risk contribute to the gap.

Men historically faced higher rates of smoking, heavy drinking and hazards at work. Women in Japan have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and are less likely to die from many cancers. Cardiovascular disease affects the heart and blood vessels.

The health ministry's figures for 2024 put average life expectancy at 87.13 years for women and 81.09 years for men, a difference of 6.04 years. Life expectancy describes the average length of life associated with a population's death rates; the centenarian count records how many residents have already reached 100.

Research on healthy aging in Japan repeatedly identifies consistent sleep, light activity such as walking and gardening, and meals favoring vegetables, fish and soy. Older people also describe keeping their minds occupied through part time work, hobbies, caring for grandchildren and community responsibilities.

Social contact helps reduce loneliness and supports resilience, or the ability to cope with difficulties. People reaching extreme ages with some independence often describe these routines. Very advanced age still brings health risks, making continued medical care and practical support part of daily life for many families.

Okinawa shows how advantages can change

Okinawa's elders helped draw worldwide attention to Japan's longevity. The islands became known as a blue zone, a place associated with unusually long lives. Research on older residents identified patterns that included eating until about 80 percent full, consuming vegetables and legumes, and moving steadily throughout the day.

Strong social circles known as moai and a sense of purpose described as ikigai were also part of that picture. These practices exist beyond Okinawa, but the island's elders helped make them widely known. For many people living into their 90s and beyond, the benefit was a longer period of good health as well as more years of life.

Older Okinawan generations who grew up before World War II often ate diets limited in calories and rich in vegetables, sweet potatoes, soy and seaweed. Many stayed active into their 80s and 90s. Their health in advanced age, including lower rates of artery disease and some cancers, matched the habits researchers documented.

Younger generations experienced a different environment. From the late 1980s, fast food became more common, portions grew and daily movement declined. Male life expectancy in particular slipped relative to other prefectures. Demographers have pointed to this change as a reminder that a longevity advantage needs to be maintained as diets and routines change.

Questions have also arisen about the accuracy of some historical ages in Okinawa because wartime destruction damaged many records and registries had to be rebuilt. Those concerns have encouraged researchers to validate ages carefully.

Okinawa's experience connects the lives of its oldest residents with current public health choices. Affordable healthy food and opportunities for routine activity can support both lifespan and healthspan, meaning the years people spend in good health. Maintaining those conditions across generations requires continuing effort.

What the registry problems revealed

Japan faced a major record keeping problem in 2010, when an audit of family registries found more than 230,000 people listed as aged 100 or older whose whereabouts were unknown. Some had died long before. Many entries concerned people born before 1910 whose deaths had never been recorded in those registers.

The findings raised concerns about possible pension fraud and the reliability of centenarian statistics. Family registries preserve records of family relationships and life events, making the recording of deaths essential to keeping them current.

Demographers who later examined the missing registrants concluded that the effect on life expectancy statistics was negligible. Their research traced the problems to outdated records rather than widespread misreporting of the ages of living residents.

Governments subsequently tightened verification and moved more processes online. The annual centenarian release now draws on the basic resident register system, with records updated and cross checked. Researchers and policymakers widely use the current figures.

International comparisons require care because countries maintain and verify vital records in different ways. Reliable birth and death information remains central to understanding how long people live and how populations are changing.

Longer lives bring pressure on work and care

Japan has about 36.25 million residents aged 65 or older, equivalent to 29.3 percent of its population. Its combination of population decline and a growing share of older people puts pressure on workplaces, families and public services.

A quarter of older adults are employed, reflecting both a wish and a need among many people to keep working. The government is phasing in a higher standard retirement age of 65 for all employers, with application from the next fiscal year. Retaining experienced workers also requires workplaces that are safer and more flexible.

Health and long term care costs are rising as the share of very old residents grows. Families and local governments are adapting through home visits, adult day care and specialized nursing facilities. Support has to meet different needs, from help with everyday tasks to continuous nursing care.

Robotic lifting aids can reduce injuries among caregivers, while sensor systems help monitor residents. Digital tools connect people who cannot easily leave home with clinicians for follow ups and medication checks. Transport services and housing designed without physical barriers are also expanding in cities and towns.

Rural communities face extra pressure because many younger adults have moved to large metropolitan areas. Older residents left behind still need medical services, transport and regular contact with other people. Mobile clinics, community volunteers and neighborhood networks that check on people living alone help strengthen local support.

These personal connections can be as critical as advanced devices. A visit can help an isolated resident stay connected, while practical services make it easier to continue living at home.

Prevention, practical support and a place in community life

Japan continues to target major health risks through salt reduction, lower smoking rates and earlier detection of disease. Municipalities encourage walking, cycling and group activities such as Radio Taiso. Workplaces and community centers promote health checks for high blood pressure, diabetes and cancers.

The long term care insurance system, funded through contributions and taxes, supports services ranging from home helpers to specialized residential care. Local governments are expanding day services that keep older adults socially active and give family caregivers regular breaks.

Companies and nonprofit organizations are also testing programs that connect older people with flexible work. Tutoring, mentoring and light office support provide ways for people to continue using their experience and skills.

Respect for the Aged Day each September brings public attention to these residents and their civic contributions. Letters and silver cups for new centenarians are part of a wider culture that places value on staying involved in community life as people grow older.

The record count of 99,763 centenarians brings Japan's gains in survival into focus. The country's response combines prevention, medical treatment, care services, work and social contact, addressing the everyday conditions that shape life after 100 as well as the chances of reaching it.

Key Points

• Japan's 2025 tally records 99,763 centenarians, the 55th consecutive annual record and 4,644 more than in September 2024.
• Women account for about 88 percent, with 87,784 women and 11,979 men aged 100 or older.
• Shigeko Kagawa, 114, in Nara Prefecture is the oldest person; Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111, in Shizuoka Prefecture is the oldest man.
• The national rate is 80.58 centenarians per 100,000 residents, compared with 168.69 in Shimane and 45.81 in Saitama.
• Japan recorded just 153 centenarians when counting began in 1963.
• Diet, salt reduction, low obesity, daily activity, social ties and access to care contribute to longer and healthier lives.
• A 2010 registry audit exposed outdated records; later demographic research found a negligible effect on life expectancy statistics.
• Life expectancy in 2024 was 87.13 years for women and 81.09 years for men.
• About 36.25 million people, or 29.3 percent of the population, are aged 65 or older, increasing demand for care and flexible work.
• The government prepared congratulations for 52,310 people reaching 100 in 2025.
• Okinawa illustrates how changing food and activity habits can weaken advantages enjoyed by earlier generations.