世上最年长老人去世 享年116岁

Jiroemon Kimura, the world's oldest person, and the oldest man to have ever lived, has died at the age of 116.

Kimura – who was born on 19 April 1897, when Queen Victoria was on the British throne – died of natural causes early on Wednesday, Japanese media said.

The Kyoto prefecture resident became the oldest man in recorded history in late December 2012 at the age of 115 years and 253 days, following the death of Dina Manfredini, an Italian-American who lived in Iowa. The longest-living person in history was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who died in 1997 at the age of 122.

Kimura died in hospital in his hometown of Kyotango, local government officials said. He had been receiving treatment for pneumonia since late last month.

In a sign of Japan's extraordinary longevity, his successor as the world's oldest person is compatriot Misao Okawa, a 115-year-old Osaka woman who already holds the title of the world's oldest woman.

Until his death Kimura was one of only a dozen people alive who were born in the 1890s. He lived through the reign of four Japanese emperors and the administrations of 61 prime ministers.

Kimura conceded that he spent a lot of time in bed at the home he shared with his grandson's widow, Eiko Kimura, who served him his favourite breakfast of rice porridge and miso soup.

He put his longevity down to waking early, eating small amounts, reading the newspaper and watching parliamentary debates on television.

Genetics may have also played a part: four of his siblings lived beyond the age of 90 and his youngest brother died aged 100. Kimura had seven grandchildren, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren.

After leaving school at 14 Kimura spent 45 years working for the post office. He was retired more than half a century but helped on his son's farm until he was 90.

Okawa, who was born in 1898 during the Spanish-American war, has said that she is not fussy about what she eats, although she's fond of pickled mackerel. Her new status has yet to be confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Japan's average life expectancy when Kimura was born was around 44 years; it now stands at 83. The country is home to more than 51,000 centenarians and around 20 supercentenarians, or people aged 110 or older.

木村次郎右卫门是世上最年长的人，也是世上在世时间最长的人，他已去世，享年116岁。

木村生于1897年4月19日。据日本媒体报导，2013年6月12日，木村自然死亡。

2012年12月，美国爱荷华州的意大利裔美国人狄娜·曼佛瑞迪尼（Dina Manfredini）去世后，日本京都的木村以115岁253天的年龄成为了历史记录上最年长的人。历史上在世时间最长的是一名叫做珍妮·卡尔门（Jeanne Calment）的法国女性，她以122岁的高龄于1997年去世。

木村家乡京丹后市的政府官员表示，木村在京丹后市的医院中去世。上月末起，木村就一直在接受肺炎的治疗。

继他之后，世上最年长的老人也是一名日本人，叫做大川贞绪（Misao Okawa），115岁。她已享有世上最年长女性的称号。由此可见，日本人享有惊人的长寿。

死前，木村是为数不多出生于19世纪90年代的人之一。他在世期间，日本经历了四位皇帝和61任首相的统治。

木村承认，他的大部分时间都躺在家中，由孙子的遗孀木村瑛子（Eiko Kimura）照料，瑛子会他做他最喜欢的稀饭和味增汤当作早餐。

他将自己的长寿归因为起得早、吃得少、读新闻以及看电视上的议会辩论。

遗传基因也许也帮了不少忙：他的兄弟姐妹中有四人活过了90岁，他最小的弟弟活到了100岁。木村有7个子女，14个孙子女，25个曾孙子女以及13个曾曾孙子女。

木村14岁时离开学校，之后在邮局干了45年。他已经退休了半余个世纪，但直到90岁前，他还在儿子的农场帮忙。

大川出生于1898年美西战争之时，她说自己虽然喜欢腌青花鱼，但并不在意每顿吃什么。她最年长的身份还未被吉尼斯世界记录确认。

木村出生时，日本的平均寿命预期值约为44岁；现已达到83岁。日本国内现有5.1万余名百岁老人，以及约20名年龄在110岁或以上的超级人瑞。