The number of people aged 100 years or older in Japan has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. According to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare released on Tuesday, the country is home to 107,677 centenarians—an increase of 7,914 from last year. Nearly 88% of them are women. This figure points to the scale of the country’s aging and shrinking population.
114-year-old Fuyo Kishimoto from Kyoto was recently recognized as the oldest resident of Japan. The oldest man in the country is 112-year-old Hikaru Kato from Kumamoto in southern Japan.
The statistics were released ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, which is celebrated on September 15. On this day, the government honors healthy and active centenarians by sending them a letter from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and a silver sake cup.
Longevity and demographic challenges
Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Kenichiro Ueno cited advancements in medical technology, healthy lifestyles, and nutrition as factors contributing to longevity. “I am very pleased that many people are living long, healthy, and active lives,” Kenichiro Ueno noted.
At the same time, the minister emphasized the importance of maintaining a sustainable social security system amid continued population aging and decline.
Among the youth, however, there is less optimism about the future. A survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research released last week showed that over 20% of unmarried men and women aged 18 to 34 do not plan to marry. Nearly half of those surveyed said they see no benefits in marriage.
Kenichiro Ueno noted that reasons for the youth’s reluctance to marry include high costs for raising and educating children, as well as the mental and physical strain on working parents. According to him, the government will continue to work on these issues related to the aging population and declining birth rate.
Experts believe that a significant decline in Japan’s population is inevitable. The country’s total fertility rate dropped to a record low of 1.14 children per woman in 2025. This is well below the 2.1 children required to maintain the current population size.
According to the 2020 census, the country had about 126 million people, with nearly 30% aged 65 or older. The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research estimates that by 2070, Japan’s population will shrink to 87 million, with the share of people aged 65 and older reaching nearly 40%.
The number of centenarians in Japan has risen sharply over the past decades. When records began in 1963, there were only 153 people over the age of 100 in the country. The number exceeded 1,000 in 1981 and 10,000 in 1998.
Source: Clarín
