Jiroemon Kimura Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Jiroemon Kimura
木村次郎右衛門
Kimura on his 115th birthday in 2012
Born	Miyake Kinjiro (三宅金治郎) (1897-04-19)19 April 1897 Kamiukawa, Kyoto, Empire of Japan
Died	12 June 2013 (aged 116 years, 54 days) Kyōtango, Kyoto, Japan
Occupation	Postal worker, farmer and soldier
Known for	Oldest man ever Oldest living man (15 April 2011 – 12 June 2013) Oldest living person (17 December 2012 – 12 June 2013)
Spouse(s)	Yae Kimura (m. 1920; died 1979)
Children	8

Military career
Allegiance	Empire of Japan
Service/branch	Imperial Japanese Army
Years of service	1918–1921
Battles/wars	World War I

Jiroemon Kimura (木村次郎右衛門, Kimura Jirōemon, 19 April 1897 – 12 June 2013) was a Japanese supercentenarian who lived for a very long time – 116 years and 54 days! He became the oldest man ever recorded on December 28, 2012. He was also the only man known to have lived to be 116 years old.

Kimura was the last man born in the 1800s to still be alive. He might have also been the last living soldier from World War I.

He became the oldest living man in Japan in 2009. Then, in 2011, he became the world's oldest living man. In 2012, he became the world's oldest living person until he passed away about six months later.

Early Life and School Days
Working Life
Military Service
Later Years and Retirement
Family Life
Secrets to a Long Life
His Passing
See also

Early Life and School Days

Jiroemon Kimura was born as Kinjiro Miyake. Records show he was born on April 19, 1897. His birthplace was Kamiukawa, a fishing village in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. His parents, Morizo and Fusa Miyake, were farmers.

Researchers looked into Kimura's age very carefully. They talked to his family and checked official papers. They confirmed his birth date and age. Kimura's nephew once said his uncle's birthday was March 19. But the researchers found that April 19 was likely his true birth date.

It seems his parents wanted him to start school earlier. So, they might have listed his birthday as March 19 on school records. This allowed him to begin school a year sooner. He could then finish school earlier and help on the family farm. In Japan at that time, children born before April were a school year ahead.

Kimura was the fifth of eight children in his family. He was the second son who lived to be an adult. Six of his siblings lived to adulthood. Five of them lived to be over 90 years old.

He started primary school on April 1, 1903. Kimura was a smart student. He finished school on March 31, 1911. He completed the equivalent of an eighth-grade education. This was two more years than what was required back then.

Working Life

On April 10, 1911, Kimura started working at the Nakahama post office. He was a telegraph boy. He also helped out on his family's farm. He left that job on February 2, 1913.

From May to December 1914, he went to a special school. It was a training school for posts and telegraph in Kyoto. He was the best student in his class of 70! He went back to work at the Nakahama post office on December 4, 1914.

Military Service

On April 1, 1918, Kimura joined the Imperial Japanese Army. He was sent to Nakano, Tokyo. There, he worked in a communications unit. He left the army on June 30. He joined again on September 1, 1919, and was sent to Tokyo. But he only served for three weeks that time, until September 21.

On May 23, 1920, he left the Nakahama post office for good. Kimura moved to Keijō (now Seoul, South Korea). He wanted to help his younger brother, A. M., who was sick there. He got a job with the government in the Mail and Telecommunications Department. He earned 30 yen plus extra for working overseas. He only stayed in Korea until November before returning to Japan. He went back to working on the farm.

From September 1 to 21, 1921, Kimura had his last three weeks of army service. He was again in a communications unit, this time in Hiroshima. Around this time, he went to a special event in Kyoto. It was to welcome Crown Prince Hirohito back to Japan from his trip to Europe.

After his army service, Kimura continued farming. Then, on April 21, 1924, he became a deputy postmaster. He worked at the Hira post office for 38 years. He retired on June 30, 1962, two months after his 65th birthday. He had worked in post offices for 45 years!

Later Years and Retirement

After he retired, Kimura helped his oldest son with the family farm. He did this until he was 90 years old. In 1978, Kimura and his wife moved in with their first son and his family. Kimura's wife passed away the next year. He continued to live with his son's family. Later, he lived with his oldest grandson's family for the rest of his life.

On September 28, 1999, when he was 102, he was on a local TV show. The show featured older people known for living a long time. On June 17, 2002, he wrote a small book about his life. It was called "Looking back at my happy 105 years."

Family Life

On December 27, 1920, Kinjiro Miyake married his neighbor, Yae Kimura. She was born in 1904. Her family, the Kimuras, did not have a male heir. So, Kinjiro changed his name to Jiroemon Kimura. He became the ninth person in that family to have that name. This happened after his adoptive father-in-law passed away in 1927.

Kimura and his wife were married for over 58 years. They had eight children: six sons and two daughters. All but one of their sons lived to be adults.

Secrets to a Long Life

Kimura was very careful about his health and stayed active. He woke up early every morning. He liked to read newspapers using a magnifying glass. He also enjoyed talking to visitors. He would watch live parliamentary debates on TV.

He believed that eating small portions of food was the secret to a long and healthy life. This idea is called hara hachi bun me in Japanese. It means eating until you are 80% full.

Kimura lived in Kyōtango, Kyoto Prefecture. He lived with his eldest son's widow, who was 83, and his grandson's widow, who was 59. On his 114th birthday in 2011, he talked about surviving a big earthquake. It was the 7.6 magnitude 1927 Kita Tango earthquake. This earthquake hit Kyoto and killed over 3,000 people. Just four days before his 114th birthday, he became the oldest living man in the world.

In October 2012, Kimura received a certificate from Guinness World Records. This was for being in their 2013 book. It was the second year in a row he was named the world's oldest living man. During their meeting, Kimura said he spent most of his time in bed.

On his 116th and final birthday, he received many good wishes. Japan's prime minister, Shinzō Abe, even sent him a video message. On May 23, 2013, Kimura became the last verified living man born in the 19th century.

His Passing

Kimura went to the hospital for pneumonia on May 11, 2013. He got better for a short time. But his health started to get worse in early June 2013. His blood sugar level and other body functions declined.

Jiroemon Kimura passed away peacefully from natural causes. He died in a hospital in his hometown of Kyōtango, western Japan, at 2:08 a.m. on June 12, 2013. After his death, Salustiano Sanchez became the world's oldest living man.

Kimura was survived by two daughters and three of his five sons. He also had 13 of his 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren.

Jiroemon Kimura facts for kids

Contents