JOETSU, Niigata -- Chitetsu Watanabe, a 112-year-old resident of Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, was certified Wednesday as the world's oldest living man by Guinness World Records. Upon receiving the official certificate, Watanabe happily said that the key to living a long life is laughter.
Watanabe was born on March 5, 1907. He joined a sugar manufacturing company and was transferred to Taiwan and worked there until the end of World War II. After returning to Japan, he worked in a branch of the Niigata Prefectural government until the mandatory retirement age, and continued working on his farm even after reaching the age of 100.
Having moved into a nursing home four years ago, Watanabe now enjoys three meals every day while living his life in a wheelchair. His hobby is calligraphy, and he wrote out "world's No.1" in kanji characters a few days ago. As he enjoyed his celebratory cake on Wednesday, he was asked if he had a message for today's youth. Watanabe is reported to have responded, "I want everyone in the world to do your best."
Masazo Nonaka of Hokkaido, the previous oldest man in the world, died at the age of 113 in January 2019 and Watanabe subsequently inherited the title, according to Guinness World Records.
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