The following month, Chitetsu Watanabe turns 113 and received the preliminary gift from Guinness Records, where he was confirmed to be the oldest man in the world.

He received the certificate Wednesday at the elderly asylum where he lives in Biigata, Japan. Currently, he is 112 years old and 344 days old, according to Guinness.

In an interview last year, he said the secret of his longevity is "not to get angry and always smile."

During his lifetime, he worked at a sugar-producing company before being hired by the Japanese government in the agricultural sector. He also joined the army in 1944 near the end of World War II. Chitetsu was involved in gardening and grew fruit and vegetables until she was 104 years old.

The oldest woman in the world is Kane Tanaka, who also lives in Japan. She was born on January 2, 1903 and was certified as the oldest woman and man in the world last year.