Mieko Nagaoka began swimming for the first time in her 80s because she had a knee injury after practicing Noh, a traditional Japanese theater. When she was 100 years old, she published the book "I am 100 years old and I am the most active swimmer in the world", before setting a world record for her age group. At the age of 105, he entered the Masters competitions and currently holds 18 world records.
In September 2019, after much controversy in the media, Nagaoka announced that he would retire from his 25-year career on the note.
Another Japanese, Hidekichi Miyazaki, caused a stir in the media at the age of 105 after running the 100-meter sprint, setting a world record for his age group.
Yuichiro Miura, 86, is still involved in mountaineering and skiing. In his 40s, he tried skiing on Everest. The list of elderly people in Japan who are in good physical condition, regardless of age, is incredibly long.
The oldest woman in the world is Kane Tanaka and lives in Japan. She was born on January 2, 1903 and was certified as the world's oldest woman and man last year.
Chitetsu Watanabe turned 113 in February and received her first gift from the Guinness Book of World Records, where she was confirmed as the world's oldest man. He lives in Niigata, Japan. In an interview last year, he said the secret to his longevity was "not to get angry and always smile."
Misao Okawa, the oldest man in the world, passed away in 2015 at the age of 117, after her heart simply stopped working. She said in interviews that the secret to her longevity was to get at least 8 hours of sleep and eat sushi, which was her favorite food.
Japan?s demographics have changed from one decade to the next, and at the moment, due to improved quality of life as well as healthy habits, there is a large group of people over 65 years old. Increasingly, policymakers in Japan are trying to improve the lives of healthy citizens.
The Japanese phenomenon is known as "pleasant aging".
In all cases, they cite healthy eating habits and lifelong exercise as the key to slow aging.
Sources: CNN, BBC
