Jiroemon Kimura: World's oldest man celebrates 116th birthday

 

JIroeman KImura, the world's oldest living person. Photo by: The times website

Japan's Jiroemon Kimura, the oldest man in the world, is celebrating his 116th birthday today.  Jiroemon Kimura celebrated his 116th birthday at his house in Kyotango city in kyoto prefecture, Japan. Jiroemon Kimura was born in 1897, and is already the oldest recorded human to have ever lived before. Jiroemon Kimura who was born on 19th April 1897 has 25 great grandchildren and 13 great great grandchildren. Jiroemon Kimura does not smoke, and has made it a practice only to eat thrice a day until he is 80 percent full, and drinks only a modest amount of alcohol, according to the local authorities and media. Mr Jiroemon Kimura,received a birthday video message from the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Japenese former postman Mr Jiroemon Kimura was named the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records after the death of American woman Dina Manfredini on 17th December 2012. Jiroemon Kimura became the oldest living man in Japan upon the death of Tomoji Tanabe on 19th June 2009. Jiroemon Kimura is believed to be the last known man to have lived across three centuries. Mr Kimura is one of 95 people who will be 100 years old or more in his home city of Kyotango which has a 60,000-strong population. Jiroemon Kimura is one of only 12 people in the world still alive who was born before the turn of the 20th century & Japan is also home to the world's oldest living woman, Misao Okawa, who is 115 years old now.  It was a busy day for Kimura, who greeted guests including the mayor of Kyotango city and officials from the Guinness World Records. Jiroemon Kimura's motto in life is "to eat light and live long".