World's oldest man, 113, dies at his home in northern Japan

News24
21 Jan 2019, 01:37 GMT+10

The world's oldest man has died at his home - a hot springs inn - in northern Japan at the age of 113.

Masazo Nonaka died in the early hours of Sunday while sleeping at home in Ashoro on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, his family said.

He died peacefully from natural causes, according to his granddaughter Yuko Nonaka.

The supercentenarian, whose family has run a hot springs inn for four generations, was certified by Guinness World Records in April 2018 as the world's oldest living man at 112 years and 259 days.

Born on July 25, 1905, Nonaka grew up in a large family and succeeded his parents running the inn. The 106-year-old inn is now run by his granddaughter Yuko.

She said her grandfather appeared to be as usual until her elder sister noticed he was not breathing. He was pronounced dead by his family doctor.

"He didn't have any health problem. ... He went peacefully and that's at least our consolation," she said.

Nonaka, who enjoyed eating sweets, used to regularly soak in the springs, and would move about in the inn in a wheelchair, wearing his trademark knit cap.

He outlived all seven of his siblings, as well as his wife and three of their five children.

The fastest-aging country in the world, Japan as of September 2018 had a centenarian population of 69 785, nearly 90 percent of them women, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The world's oldest living person is also Japanese - Kane Tanaka, a 116-year-old woman from Fukuoka on the southern main island of Kyushu.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to China National News.

More Information

International

Section

White House calls ex top FBI official a 'liar and leaker'

NEW YORK, New York - The FBI began an investigation into whether U.S. President Donald Trump was a Russian agent, ...

Police in Western Australia make arrests, seize cash and cocaine

PERTH, Western Australia - An international drug ring operating in the West Australian capital of Perth has been dismantled. In ...

Trump plans to provide 'highly sensitive' nuclear technology to Saudis

WASHINGTON DC - A U.S. Congressional committee is exploring whether the Trump administration is planning to provide Saudi Arabia with ...

UN: Future of millions of children depend on peace agreement

The peace agreement signed by 15 warring parties in the Central African Republic has been hailed by the UN Children’s ...

U.S. president reaffirms all options open on Venezuela

WASHINGTON DC - U.S. President Donald Trump has called on the Venezuelan military to abandon their president, and to throw ...

Eight children, 7 women among casualties in Syria bombings

GENEVA, Switzerland - An international humanitarian and medical aid organisation operating in Syria has denounced the shelling of civilian areas ...

Asia Pacific

Section

Movie Review

The Thing (1982) [Blu-Ray]

Thing (1982)

Featured story

Ireland's Keywords Studios acquires Canada's Snowed In

DUBLIN, Ireland - Following its successful acquisition of Hollywood-based Blindlight, Irish video-gaming company Keywords Studios has now announced its latest accomplishment. Keywords r ...