Photo/Illutration Tomiko Itooka, the oldest person in Japan, celebrates her 116th birthday on May 23 in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. (Provided by the city of Ashiya)

As Japan celebrated Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Sept. 16, the number of those aged 100 or older again marked a new record as it has each year for more than a half-century.

The number of centenarians hit 95,119 as of Sept. 15, representing an increase of 2,980 from the previous year, the 54th consecutive year of record-breaking numbers, according to data released on Sept. 17 by the welfare ministry.

As of Sept. 1, 47,888 individuals had reached the age of 100 this fiscal year or were projected to do so by the end of the fiscal year in March. This represents a 781-person increase from the previous year and is the highest number ever recorded.

Women accounted for 88 percent of centenarians, with 83,958 women and 11,161 men reaching the milestone.

When considering the number of centenarians per 100,000 people, Shimane Prefecture had the highest rate at 159.54, ranking first for the 12th consecutive year.

Saitama Prefecture had the lowest rate, with 45.81 centenarians per 100,000 people, marking the 35th consecutive year at the bottom of the list.

The oldest person in the country is 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka from Hyogo Prefecture, while the oldest man is 110-year-old Kiyotaka Mizuno from Shizuoka Prefecture.

The number of centenarians was only 153 in 1963, when the Welfare Law for the Elderly was enacted.

The number has since steadily increased, exceeding 10,000 in 1998, 50,000 in 2012 and 90,000 in 2022.

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