Tokyo – Government data released this week show that the number of people aged 100 or older living in Japan has passed 100,000 for the first time. The Health and Welfare Ministry reported 107,677 centenarians as of the latest count, an increase of nearly 8,000 from the prior year. Nearly nine in ten are women. The figures coincide with Respect for the Aged Day on September 15 and highlight both remarkable gains in life expectancy and the pressures of a shrinking overall population. ([1])
Record Figures and Notable Individuals
The ministry’s statistics place the current total well above the century mark for the first time in the annual survey’s history. Women account for roughly 88 percent of those aged 100 and older. Two individuals stand out in the latest release: Fuyo Kishimoto of Kyoto, recognized as the oldest woman at 114, and Hikaru Kato of Kumamoto, the oldest man at 112. These personal milestones illustrate the upper end of the longevity trend now visible at the national level.
Drivers of Extended Lifespans
Health Minister Kenichiro Ueno pointed to advances in medical technology along with improvements in diet and daily habits as key contributors to longer, healthier lives. The government continues to mark the occasion by sending letters from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and silver sake cups to healthy centenarians. Officials view these gains as evidence that sustained public health efforts can produce measurable results even as the broader population contracts.
Demographic Pressures and Policy Responses
The same data release underscores the challenges that accompany longer lifespans. Japan’s total fertility rate fell to a record low of 1.14 in 2025, well below the replacement level of 2.1. A recent survey by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research found that more than 20 percent of single adults aged 18 to 34 have no intention of marrying, with many citing the costs of child-rearing and the strains on working parents. Minister Ueno acknowledged these concerns and said the government will keep working to ease the burdens that discourage younger people from forming families. Historical context shows how rapidly the picture has changed. When the centenarian survey began in 1963, only 153 people qualified. The count passed 1,000 in 1981 and 10,000 in 1998. Projections from the national institute indicate the overall population could fall from 126 million in 2020 to 87 million by 2070, with nearly 40 percent aged 65 or older. Maintaining a sustainable social security system remains a central priority for policymakers.
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