Shigechiyo Izumi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
centenarian
who was titled the oldest living person
after the death of Niwa Kawamoto, also from Japan
. His case was first verfied by Guinness World Records, who titled him the oldest person ever, but Guinness have in recent years backed from their previous statement; in the Guinness World Records book 2012, Christian Mortensen is titled "the oldest verfied man ever" and Izumi is not even mentioned. His name was recorded in Japan's first census of 1871.
(a Japanese alcoholic beverage often distilled from barley or rice), and took up smoking at age 70. He claimed to have begun his career in 1872, goading draft animals at a sugar mill, and retired as a sugarcane farmer in 1970 at the claimed age of 105. He attributed his long life to "the Gods
, Buddha
and the Sun
".
After a brief hospitalization, Izumi died of pneumonia at 21:15 Japan Standard Time
(JST) on February 21, 1986. Izumi was the longest holder of the "oldest living person" title. He is also one of only two people (the other being Jeanne Calment
) verified to have lived past a 120th birthday, although subsequent research has cast doubt on the verification. In April 1987, 14 months after Izumi's death, the Department of Epidemiology at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology reported that research into Izumi's family registration records indicated Izumi might have died at the age of 105. Also in the Guinness World Records Book 2011, it states that "The birth certificate submitted as evidence might actually belong to his older brother, who died at a young age; if the family used Izumi as a 'necronym
'—that is, gave him his dead brother's name, as the new research suggests—this means his final age was 105 years old, not 120." In the Guinness World Records Book 2012, Christian Mortensen
is titled as the oldest verfied man ever, and Izumi is not even mentioned.
The oldest undisputed case of male longevity is that of Christian Mortensen (1882–1998), who died at the age of 115 years and 252 days. The oldest Japanese man ever whose age is undisputed, is Jiroemon Kimura
(1897-) who is .
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
who was titled the oldest living person
Oldest people
This is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
after the death of Niwa Kawamoto, also from Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His case was first verfied by Guinness World Records, who titled him the oldest person ever, but Guinness have in recent years backed from their previous statement; in the Guinness World Records book 2012, Christian Mortensen is titled "the oldest verfied man ever" and Izumi is not even mentioned. His name was recorded in Japan's first census of 1871.
Biography
Izumi's wife died at the age of 90. He drank brown sugar shōchūShochu
is a Japanese distilled beverage. It is typically distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice, though it is sometimes produced from other ingredients such as brown sugar, buckwheat or chestnut. Typically shōchū contains 25% alcohol by volume...
(a Japanese alcoholic beverage often distilled from barley or rice), and took up smoking at age 70. He claimed to have begun his career in 1872, goading draft animals at a sugar mill, and retired as a sugarcane farmer in 1970 at the claimed age of 105. He attributed his long life to "the Gods
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
, Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
and the Sun
Amaterasu
, or is apart of the Japanese myth cycle and also a major deity of the Shinto religion. She is the goddess of the sun, but also of the universe. the name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The meaning of her whole name, Amaterasu-ōmikami, is "the great August kami who...
".
Death and controversy over age
After a brief hospitalization, Izumi died of pneumonia at 21:15 Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
(JST) on February 21, 1986. Izumi was the longest holder of the "oldest living person" title. He is also one of only two people (the other being Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Calment
Jeanne Louise Calment was a French supercentenarian who had the longest confirmed human life span in history, living to the age of . She lived in Arles, France, for her entire life, and outlived both her daughter and grandson. She became especially well known from the age of 113, when the...
) verified to have lived past a 120th birthday, although subsequent research has cast doubt on the verification. In April 1987, 14 months after Izumi's death, the Department of Epidemiology at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology reported that research into Izumi's family registration records indicated Izumi might have died at the age of 105. Also in the Guinness World Records Book 2011, it states that "The birth certificate submitted as evidence might actually belong to his older brother, who died at a young age; if the family used Izumi as a 'necronym
Necronym
A necronym, from the Greek words νεκρός and ὀνομα , is a reference to, or name of, a person who has died. Many cultures have taboos and traditions associated with referring to such a person...
'—that is, gave him his dead brother's name, as the new research suggests—this means his final age was 105 years old, not 120." In the Guinness World Records Book 2012, Christian Mortensen
Christian Mortensen
Thomas Peter Thorvald Kristian Ferdinand Mortensen , known as an adult as Christian Mortensen, was a Danish supercentenarian. At the time of his death he was 115 years and 252 days old—the longest fully authenticated lifespan of any male in history...
is titled as the oldest verfied man ever, and Izumi is not even mentioned.
The oldest undisputed case of male longevity is that of Christian Mortensen (1882–1998), who died at the age of 115 years and 252 days. The oldest Japanese man ever whose age is undisputed, is Jiroemon Kimura
Jiroemon Kimura
Jiroemon Kimura is a Japanese supercentenarian who, at the age of , is currently the world's oldest living man, since the death of Walter Breuning on 14 April 2011. Being 113 years 361 days at the succession , Kimura is the oldest man ever to gain the title of oldest living man...
(1897-) who is .
See also
- List of the oldest people
- LongevityLongevityThe word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
- Longevity claimsLongevity claimsLongevity claims assert extreme human longevity. Those asserting lifespans of 110 years or more are referred to as supercentenarian. Many have either no official verification or are backed only by partial evidence...
- Longevity narratives
- Oldest peopleOldest peopleThis is a list of tables of the verified oldest people in the world in ordinal rank, such as oldest person or oldest man. In these tables, a supercentenarian is considered 'verified' if his or her claim has been validated by an international body that specifically deals in longevity research, such...
- SenescenceSenescenceSenescence or biological aging is the change in the biology of an organism as it ages after its maturity. Such changes range from those affecting its cells and their function to those affecting the whole organism...
- CentenarianCentenarianA centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
- SupercentenarianSupercentenarianA supercentenarian is someone who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in a thousand centenarians....