Japan’s centenarian population nears 1 lakh, 90 per cent are women

Japan’s expanding elderly population has led to soaring medical and welfare costs. REPRESENTATION PIC/ISTOCK

The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan has hit a record high of nearly 1,00,000, with almost 90 per cent of them women, ministry data showed on Friday.

The figures underscore the demographic crisis gripping the world's fourth-biggest economy as its population ages and shrinks.

As of September 1, Japan had 99,763 centenarians, up 4644 year-on-year, with 88 per cent of them women, the health ministry said in a statement. Japan's oldest person is 114-year-old Shigeko Kagawa in the Nara region near Kyoto.

She remained active past 80 years old as an obstetrician-gynecologist and a general doctor, according to the ministry.

She still has good eyesight so she spends the day watching TV, reading newspapers and doing calligraphy.

Japan is facing a steadily worsening population crisis, as its expanding elderly population leads to soaring medical and welfare costs, with a shrinking labour force to pay for it.

114
Age of the oldest person in Japan

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