Post by Administrator on Sept 29, 2003 4:46:49 GMT -5
The world's oldest man, retired Japanese silkworm breeder Yukichi Chuganji, died in his home at the age of 114, local government officials said on Monday.
Family members found him dead in his futon sleeping mattress on Sunday evening, the officials on the southern island of Kyushu said.
Born on March 23, 1889, Chuganji worked as a silkworm breeder and bank employee after leaving school. He also served as a community welfare officer.
He had been in good health, talking daily with his daughter's family with whom he lived, but had not ventured from his bed very often in recent years and had poor eyesight.
With Chuganji's death, Kameni Nakamura becomes Japan's oldest man at 108. It was not immediately known whether he had inherited the mantle of world's oldest man.
Japan boasts the world's longest life expectancy -- 78 years for men and 80 for women -- and the oldest living person is Kamato Hongo, a 116-year-old Japanese woman who also lives on Kyushu.
Around one in five citizens in Japan is now aged 65 or over, the highest percentage among industrialized nations.
There are concerns that the number of workers in the future will not be enough to support the aging society. By 2025, Japan is expected to have roughly one person over 65 for every two of working age, a higher dependency ratio than any other major nation.
Reuters
Family members found him dead in his futon sleeping mattress on Sunday evening, the officials on the southern island of Kyushu said.
Born on March 23, 1889, Chuganji worked as a silkworm breeder and bank employee after leaving school. He also served as a community welfare officer.
He had been in good health, talking daily with his daughter's family with whom he lived, but had not ventured from his bed very often in recent years and had poor eyesight.
With Chuganji's death, Kameni Nakamura becomes Japan's oldest man at 108. It was not immediately known whether he had inherited the mantle of world's oldest man.
Japan boasts the world's longest life expectancy -- 78 years for men and 80 for women -- and the oldest living person is Kamato Hongo, a 116-year-old Japanese woman who also lives on Kyushu.
Around one in five citizens in Japan is now aged 65 or over, the highest percentage among industrialized nations.
There are concerns that the number of workers in the future will not be enough to support the aging society. By 2025, Japan is expected to have roughly one person over 65 for every two of working age, a higher dependency ratio than any other major nation.
Reuters