Tomoji Tanabe (
Tomoji Tanabe | |
---|---|
Born | 18 September 1895 Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan |
Died | 19 June 2009 (aged 113 years, 274 days) Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Japan |
Occupation(s) | Former civil engineer, surveyor |
Title | World's oldest man (24 January 2007 – 19 June 2009) |
Biography
editBorn in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki, Tanabe worked as a civil engineer at the city office.[3] He credited total abstinence from alcohol and smoking as the secret to his longevity.[4][5] On his 112th birthday, he stated: "I want to live forever. I don't want to die", and received 100,000 yen and flowers from the local mayor. Tanabe was "extremely healthy" and ate vegetables and drank milk daily.[6][7]
A former city land surveyor,[8] Tanabe, on his 113th birthday said "I am happy. I eat a lot. I don't want to die yet." In 2008, he said he wanted to "live indefinitely."[9][10] Tanabe received a giant tea cup engraved with his name and date of birth plus birthday gifts, flowers and 100,000 yen cash from Miyakonojo Mayor Makoto Nagamine. A Miyakonojo official said: "His favorite food is fried shrimp, but we've heard that he's cut back on oily food. He said he wants to live for another 10 years, that he doesn't want to die."[11]
However, after his last birthday, Tanabe's health deteriorated quickly. He had mostly been bed-ridden since early May 2009 and could not eat, due to a chronic heart condition. On 19 June 2009, Tanabe died in his sleep of heart failure at his home in southern Japan. He was 113 years, 274 days old.[12] Upon Tanabe's death, British World War I veteran Henry Allingham, age 113, became the world's oldest living man, but died a month later.
He was survived by eight children, 25 grandchildren, and 54 great-grandchildren.[13]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^
男性 長寿 日本一 は田鍋 さん宮崎 県 の110歳 [permanent dead link] - ^ "Japan's oldest man says 'thank you very much'". Japan Times. June 22, 2009. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ 111-Year-Old Cited As World's Oldest Man
- ^ Japanese teetotaller world's oldest man at 111
- ^ World's oldest man dies; he didn't smoke or drink[dead link]
- ^ Reuters, World's oldest man turns 112
- ^ BBC News, Oldest man marks 112th birthday
- ^ jpost.com, World's oldest man celebrates 113th birthday in Japan[permanent dead link]
- ^ timesonline.co.uk, Tomoji Tanabe, world's oldest man, turns 113
- ^ news.smh.com.au, World's oldest man turns 113
- ^ reuters.com, Happy 113th birthday for world's oldest man
- ^ World's oldest man dies at 113, Associated Press, 19 June 2009(Internet Archive)
- ^ Mainichi News