Gifts to exploding number of centenarians strain Japan’s budget

When the tradition began, Japan had 153 centenarians.

Japan last year had nearly 59,000 people who were 100 or older, with almost 90 percent of them women.

While centenarians in the UK have long received a telegram from the Queen on their landmark birthday, those in Japan have been handed a silver cup.

They have a variety of solutions on the table, including sake dishes made from cheaper material, different presents entirely or even just a letter.

‘We are reviewing it, but we have not made any firm decisions, ‘ a ministry official said. The gift dilemma signals a larger trend for the country, as its demographics continue shifting towards an increasingly aging population.

In Japan, women reach an average age of 86.83 years, while men can make an average of 80.50. Japan has the oldest population in the world – more than a quarter of people are over 65.

Sakari Momoi, who cited healthy eating and a good night’s sleep as the secrets to a very long life, died in July at the age of 112.

Japan’s oldest citizens were at the centre of a scandal in 2010 when it emerged that at least 200 centenarians had gone missing from local government records.

Fast forward five decades and that number has exploded – 29,357 turned 100 in 2014 alone.