No. of Japanese centenarians hits record 67,824 amid medical advances

Japan's centenarian population increased by 2,132 from a year earlier to a record 67,824 in September, boosted by medical advances and greater health consciousness, the welfare ministry said Friday.The figure rose for the 47th consecutive year, with women accounting for 87.9 percent of the total, according to the population estimate for Sept. 15, based on resident registry data as of Sept. 1, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said.The number of male centenarians was 8,197, up 30 from the previous year while females reached 59,627, up 2,102. By the end of current fiscal year through Mar…READ FULL ARTICLE