In Japan, today, more than 95,000 people live with over one hundred years, according to the official data published by the Ministry of Health and released by authoritative sources such as Kyodo News. The data is updated to 1 September 2024 and confirms an uninterrupted trend: for the 54th consecutive year, the number of centenarians has increased. An increase of 2,980 people compared to 2023, which underlines the extraordinary longevity of the Japanese population.
Women dominate among the centenarians
Among the 95,119 registered centers, 83,958 are women, equal to about 88.3% of the total. The men, however, are only 11,161. This imbalance reflects a well -known aspect of Japanese demography: the female life expectancy, which stands around 88 years, far exceeds the male one, which stops at 82 years old. A difference that is amplified in very advanced ages, to make women the main protagonists of longevity.
These women are not isolated or exceptional figures: many of them still lead an active, autonomous, often lucid life. Some, like Shigeko Kagawa, 114 years old, former doctor, also left a mark in public memory: in 2021, at 109, he brought the Olympic torch. Others, such as Yoshimitsu Miyauchi, continue to participate in sports competitions despite the three -digit age.
Behind Japanese longevity
The reasons behind this extraordinary longevity are manifold. This is not a genetic question or healthy fashion, but of habits rooted in everyday life: a simple and balanced diet, a regular lifestyle, an efficient health system, accessible and centered on prevention, and a cohesive social fabric, where old age is not marginalized but integrated and respected.
In Japan, almost one in three people are more than 65 years old: it is 36 million individuals, who represent 29% of the population. And as many as 10% exceeded 80 years. The country is today a living demographic laboratory, which raises crucial questions about how to organize a society that ages, guaranteeing dignity, care and significant relationships.
According to the data collected by Euronews Health, a fifth of the centenarians in the world lives in Japan, a primacy that tells of a possible balance between longevity and quality of life. There are no shortcuts or magical formulas: just observe the lives of those who have already passed the hundred years, understand how it has arrived and in what conditions.
Don’t you want to lose our news?
You may also be interested in:
