Jiroemon Kimura

Jiroemon Kimura (Japanese: 木村 次郎右衛門, Hepburn: Kimura Jirōemon; 19 April 1897 – 12 June 2013) was a Japanese supercentenarian who was the verified oldest living person between Dina Manfredini's death on 17 December 2012 and his own death at age 116 years and 54 days on 12 June 2013. Kimura became the oldest verified living man in the world on 25 September 2011 at the age of 114, upon the death of Peru's Horacio Celi Mendoza, and later also the oldest man in history whose lifespan is verified on 28 December 2012, when he surpassed the age of Christian Mortensen (1882–1998).

Family According to records, Kimura, then named , was born on 19 April 1897 in the fishing village of Kamiukawa, in the Kyoto Prefecture of the Empire of Japan, as the fifth of eight children to farmers Morizo Miyake (1858–1935) and Fusa Miyake (1867–1931); Kinjiro had two elder sisters (born 1 November 1887 and 11 December 1889 respectively) and two elder brothers (born 21 March 1892 and 20 February 1895 respectively), of whom, however, only the second sister (who lived to the age of 96) and second brother (who died on 2 July 1986 aged 91) were alive at the time of Kinjiro's birth.

Early life Verifying birthdate Kimura's age was further verified by researchers in an article that they published in 2017. After thorough research, including conducting family interviews and searching official records, the authors verified Kimura's age and date of birth.

Career On 10 April 1911, Miyake began work at the Nakahama post office as a telegraph boy while also working on his family's farm. He left the Nakahama post office on 2 February 1913. Kimura had in total 14 grandchildren (of whom one grandson died in 2005), 25 great-grandchildren, He was health-conscious and active. He woke up early in the morning and read newspapers with a magnifying glass.

Longevity On 28 September 1999, aged 102, he appeared on a local television program featuring local residents noted for their longevity. On 17 June 2002, he published an autobiographical pamphlet, "Looking back at my happy 105 years." On his 114th birthday on 19 April 2011, he mentioned his survival of the 7.6 magnitude 1927 Kita Tango earthquake that hit Kyoto and killed over 3,000 people. In October 2012, Kimura was presented with a certificate from Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday, relating to Kimura's appearance in the 2013 edition of Guinness World Records book; this was the second year in a row Kimura was recognized as the oldest living man in the world, as he also appeared in the book the year before. During the meeting, Kimura said he spent most of his time in bed. On his 116th and final birthday, Kimura received many well-wishes, including a video message from Japan's prime minister Shinzō Abe. On 23 May 2013, upon the death of 113-year-old Barbadian man James Sisnett, Kimura became the last living man born in the 19th century.

Death Kimura was admitted to hospital for pneumonia on 11 May 2013, from which he recovered. However, his health deteriorated in early June 2013, as his blood sugar level, urine production and response declined. Kimura died of natural causes in a hospital in his hometown of Kyōtango, western Japan, at 2:08 a.m. on 12 June 2013, and was succeeded as the world's oldest living man by Salustiano Sánchez (born 8 June 1901), and as the oldest living person by fellow Japanese citizen Misao Okawa.