Tomoji Tanabe, who was born on September 18 1895, received 100,000 yen (£450) and flowers from the local mayor of his hometown Miyakonojo in recognition of his longevity. Tanabe was officially declared the world’s oldest man in January 2007 following the death of 115-year-old Puerto Rican Emiliano Mercado del Toro.

Supercentenarian Tanabe says avoiding alcohol and cigarettes has been the key to his long life. He relies on a diet of vegetables and a daily stroll to keep him fit and keeps his mind sharp by keeping a diary and reading the newspaper.

Tanabe had an additional reason to celebrate as his birthday coincided with Japan’s Respect for the Elderly public holiday. With improvements in healthcare, Japanese people are living longer than ever and the number of people here over the age of 100 is expected to reach 32,000 next month.

Legends of longevity

Amazingly, there are officially 22 living humans older than Tanabe and they are all women. Heading the list is American Edna Parker who, born on April 20 1893, is recognised as the world’s oldest living human. She only recently inherited the record from Japan’s Yone Minagawa, who sadly passed away on August 13 this year.

And while Tanabe remains officially recognised as the world’s oldest man, his title may be challenged in future. Ukrainian centenarian Hryhory Nestor claims to be 116 years of age. Despite the fact that he is yet to be recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, there can be few doubts about Nestor’s age as he has three passports to prove it.