The World’s oldest man got a little bit older today. Jiroemon Kimura celebrated his 116th birthday with friends and family today in Kyotango, Japan.
Kimura became the world’s oldest living person back in December and has been adding to his record ever since. Today, April 19, 2013, he turned 116 years young.
According to the Huffington Post, Kimura received a video message from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for his birthday as well as a visit from the mayor of Kyotango.
Kimura has five kids, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great grandchildren. According to the BBC, he is one of only 12 people born before 1900 who is still alive.
So what’s Kimura’s secret to longevity? According to his Facebook page, the world’s oldest man “wakes up early in the morning and reads newspapers with a magnifying glass. Also, he enjoys talking to guests and follows live parliamentary debates on television. According to him, small portions of food are the key to a long and healthy life.”
Kimura, who currently lives at home with one of his great-grandchildren, reportedly eats three meals a day of rice, pumpkin and sweet potatoes.
Jiroemon Kimura is currently the oldest person in the world but he has a long way to go if he wants to become the oldest person to ever live. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, that honor goes to Jeanne Louise Calment of France. Calment, who passed away in 1997, lived to be 122 years and 164 days old.
The world’s oldest woman is currently Misao Okawa , of Japan, who is 115 years old.
Here’s a video from Kimura’s 115th birthday.
