ASIA / PACIFIC
March 2, 2020
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 3
World’s oldest man, who said his
secret was smiling, dies at 112
children, 12 grandchildren, 16 great-
grandchildren, and one great-great-
grandchild, Mainichi said.
Watanabe’s family did not immediately
answer calls to their home.
Watanabe was born in 1907 and worked
in Taiwan for 18 years. After returning to
Niigata, northern Japan, he worked for the
prefectural government until retirement.
He grew fruit and vegetables on the
family farm and loved cream puffs and
bonsai, the Japanese traditional art of
raising small sculpted trees.
He used to say the secret to longevity
was to keep smiling.
Guinness in Japan offered its
condolences to his family.
The oldest living person is also
Japanese, Kane Tanaka, a 117-year-old
woman.
By Yuri Kageyama
The Associated Press
OKYO — A Japanese man who
received his certificate as the
world’s oldest man with a raised
fist and big smiles in early February has
died at age 112.
Guinness World Records had given the
certificate to Chitetsu Watanabe on
February 12. The organization and the
funeral home handling his services
confirmed he died on Sunday, February
23. No cause was given.
He had not been able to eat recently and
developed a fever and difficulty breathing
a couple of days before his death, Japan’s
nationally circulated newspaper Mainichi
reported, citing family sources.
Watanabe is survived by his five
T
SECRET WAS SMILING. Chitetsu Watanabe, 112, poses next to the calligraphy he wrote after being hon-
ored as the world’s oldest living man by Guinness World Records in Joetsu, Niigata prefecture, northern Japan,
in this February 12, 2020 file photo. Watanabe, who received his certificate as the world’s oldest man with a
raised fist and big smile in early February, has died. (Kyodo News via AP, File)
Oregon Koto-Kai
q
Presents
Japan to close schools nationwide to control spread of virus
Continued from page 2
confirmed on the northern island of
Hokkaido.
Abe’s announcement came hours after
several local governments announced
their own decisions to suspend classes for
shorter periods.
Officials in Hokkaido said they were
closing all 1,600 elementary and middle
schools. Hokkaido now has at least 54
confirmed cases, the largest in the country
outside the cruise ship.
Some local governments quickly said
they will abide by the request, but others
criticized the short notice and said it would
affect working parents who need to find
sitters for young school children.
“Society will fall apart because of the
measures,” said Chiba mayor Toshihito
Kumagai, adding that he will come up with
measures to support working parents
during the school suspension.
Japan’s school year ends in March,
leaving little time for final exams or
graduation ceremonies.
Schools should keep exams and
graduation ceremonies to a minimum and
take all necessary precautions, Abe said.
“Our graduation ceremony is coming up
soon, and it’s quite a hectic time of the
year,” Norinobu Sawada, vice principal of
Koizumi Elementary School in Hokkaido’s
Kitami City, told TBS television. “The
most important thing is to prevent
infections, so there aren’t many other
options.”
The Japanese government has also
asked companies to allow employees to
work flexible hours or work from home to
reduce infection risks.
So-Shun
Koto Concert
(Early Spring)
Sunday M arch 15, 2020 / 2:30 pm
Doors open at 2:00 pm
serenity
Guest: Tea Ceremony D emonstration by
Barbara Walker, Sosei
PSU Lincoln Recital Hall (Room 75)
flowers
O rder Tickets: oregonkotokai.org
simplicity
koto
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