Guinness World Records has officially awarded Japan’s Masazo Nonaka the title of Oldest person living (male), at the incredible age of 112 years and 259 days.

Erika Ogawa, VP Japan for Guinness World Records, visited the record holder on Tuesday (10 April) in his hometown of Ashoro on the island of Hokkaido, to present him with a certificate for the iconic record.

Masazo takes the title after Francisco Nuñez Olivera from Spain sadly passed away in January aged 113.

"We are very pleased to announce that we have a new record holder for the oldest living man. Mr Nonaka’s achievement is remarkable – he can teach us all an important lesson about the value of life and how to stretch the limits of human longevity," Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records' Editor-in-Chief.

Mr Nonaka was born on 25 July 1905 – just two years after the Wright Brothers celebrated the First power-driven flight and just months before Einstein published his special theory of relativity.

He has six brothers and one sister and his already large family grew further after he married Hatsuno in 1931, going on to have five children with her.

Masazo now spends his well-earned retirement watching TV - sumo wrestling in particular - reading newspapers and indulging in sweets and cakes.

He also likes to spend time with his family, either at home or in their B&B, and their two cats called Kuro and Haru.

Masazo is really fond of his pets and if doesn't like his dinner he often gives it to them, but tries to hide it from his family.

Although Mr Nonaka believes his longevity is down to soaking in hot springs and eating sweets, his daughter thinks otherwise! She says it is because he lives his life in a way that doesn't bring him stress.

If he doesn't want something, he'll make sure everyone knows about it, she says.

The 112-year-old was presented with his official record certificate and a cake today, to which he responded "yum."

Masazo’s record was confirmed following an extensive research and evidence review process by Robert Young, Guinness World Records’ senior consultant for gerontology and the co-director for the Gerontology Research Group.



The record holder for the Oldest person ever (male) was also Japanese. Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897 and died aged 116 years 54 days, on 12 June 2013 – four years older than Masazo.

However, the all-time record for the Oldest person ever is held by Jeanne Louise Calment from France, who lived to an unprecedented 122 years 164 days, from 1875-1997.

Guinness World Records is currently investigating title holders for the Oldest person living (female), as no one has taken this title since 117-year-old Violet Brown (Jamaica) passed away in 2017.