Today is a national holiday; and as is the custom here, it has a name/purpose — Respect The Aged Day.
This year the day off falls at a rather apt time, as figures have just been released stating that by the end of September — barring any untimely falls or bouts of pneumonia — the number of centenarians in Japan will reach 25,554. Meaning there’s going to be an awful lot of ‘respecting’ going on.
Not surprisingly women make up the majority of this hardy bunch, accounting for a whopping 85% of all those who reach this memorable (or not as the case may be) milestone. Old salary man Suzuki having usually popped his clogs a long time before reaching 100; the years of excessive overtime and marathon commutes exacting a decidedly terminal toll.
This geriatric gang is a relatively modern phenomenon, and has been increasing in numbers for the last 35 years — steadily growing each and every year. The fact that there were only 153 centenarians in 1963 proving how exclusive the club once was.
The oldest person (as of writing) is 112-year-old Yone Minagawa. Although as impressive as this is, Mr. and Mrs. Semba’s record for the world’s oldest couple is even more staggering. Yae Semba plods along at a sprightly 100-years-old, whilst her husband Nisaburo clocks in at an impressive — and statistic contradicting — 107. The pair narrowly edging out Yoichi and Gomi kazono of Kanagawa. A couple that also boasts a combined age of 207.
Now this is all well and good, but having already lived here for seven years and in no rush to go home anytime soon, will some of this longevity rub off on me?
It’d certainly be nice to think so.
Perhaps.
Hexxenn says
Good god, I’ve seen zombies in horror movies who looked less freaky than these geezers!
On the other hand, if they’re ~100 and still kicking, more power to ’em.
rae says
oh my god. does this mean that my mom is going to be around for at least another twenty years!!!
melina says
the lady in the second picture in the wheelchair resembles that one geriatric “doll” you posted earlier in the year lee…are you sure that’s NOT the doll?
Lee says
I’d never thought of that Melina, but now you mention it, there is a rather disturbing resemblance.
Could that help explain the doll’s real-life appearance….?
Brett says
Do you realise that’s 2,555,400 years of life in total of these people. If we could stick them all together somehow they might be able to tell us what happened top the dinosaurs.