Chitetsu Watanabe laughs after being recognized as the world’s oldest man in Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, on Feb. 12. The characters he wrote on the scroll mean “No. 1 in the world.” (Pool)

JOETSU, Niigata Prefecture--A 112-year-old resident here died on Feb. 23 less than two weeks after being recognized as the world’s oldest living man by Guinness World Records.

Chitetsu Watanabe died of old age at a nursing home just shy of his 113th birthday on March 5.

Watanabe fell ill at the end of last year but recovered. When he received the Guinness World Records certificate on Feb. 12, he smiled, cracked jokes and said the secret to longevity is “to laugh.”

Watanabe was born in 1907 in the village of Uragawara, which is now part of Joetsu city.

When he was in his 20s, he moved to Taiwan and worked at a sugar company.

He returned to his hometown after the end of World War II and landed jobs at a prefectural government agency and other places.

After his retirement, Watanabe took up farming and continued with his hobbies, including growing bonsai and calligraphy.

He leaves behind five children, 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.