Japan’s oldest man dies at 112

A 112-year-old man, recognised as Japan’s oldest male, has passed away in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, local media reported on Thursday.

Gisaburo Sonobe, who died in late March, was born on Nov. 6, 1911 and became the country’s oldest man after his predecessor died in November 2022 at 111, the report said, citing local authorities.

The municipal government of Tateyama, where Sonobe resided, has not revealed the exact date or the cause of his death at the request of his family, the report noted.

On Wednesday, Guinness World Records said that the world’s oldest man, Juan Vicente Perez, had died at 114 in Venezuela.

Sonobe had been expected to be the next title holder.