Tokyo (AFP)
A 112-year-old Japanese man was awarded the title of New Male Dean of Humanity by the Guinness World Records. His longevity secret? "Keep smiling," he said simply.
Chitetsu Watanabe was born on March 5, 1907 in Niigata, in the northwest of Japan. He officially received his Guinness title on Wednesday in the retirement home where he resides, still in his hometown.
The previous record holder, Masazo Nonaka, another Japanese, died last month at 112 years and 266 days.
Watanabe, who had five children, said the secret to his longevity was simply "not to get angry and keep a smile."
He recognized a cute sin - sweets like caramel pudding - but obviously it didn't hurt him.
The current dean of mankind of both sexes is a Japanese woman, Kane Tanaka, who celebrated her 117th birthday last month.
Japan has one of the highest life expectancies in the world: more than 70,000 centenarians live in the country, out of a total population of around 126 million inhabitants, in strong demographic decline.
The absolute world record for male longevity is that of another Japanese man who died in 2013 shortly after his 116th birthday, Jiroemon Kimura.
According to Guinness, the longevity record that can be officially proven, all sexes combined, remains held by the Frenchwoman Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.
© 2020 AFP