Masazō Nonaka facts for kids

Masazō Nonaka (野中 正造, Nonaka Masazō, (1905-07-25)25 July 1905 – 20 January 2019) was a Japanese hotel manager. He was known for being a supercentenarian, which means he lived to be over 110 years old. Masazō Nonaka was the oldest person ever born in Hokkaido, Japan.

Life of Masazō Nonaka

Early Life and Family

Masazō Nonaka was born on July 25, 1905. His hometown was Ashoro, in Hokkaido, Japan. He was the first child of Masujiro and Kiyo Nonaka. He grew up with two brothers and three sisters.

When he was young, Masazō worked as a farmer. He also worked as a lumberjack, cutting down trees.

Running the Family Inn

In 1925, Masazō took over his family's business. It was a hot spring inn called Nonaka Onsen. His parents had started the inn in 1905. Today, one of his grandchildren manages the inn.

In 1931, Masazō married Hatsuno Nonaka. They had five children together. Hatsuno passed away in 1992.

Becoming the Oldest Man

Masazō Nonaka became the oldest living Japanese man in 2016. This happened after another very old man, Masamitsu Yoshida, passed away.

In January 2018, Masazō became the oldest living man in the world. He was 113 years old at the time. He said his long life was due to eating sweets. He also believed bathing in hot springs helped him live so long.

Later Years and Legacy

Masazō Nonaka passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was 113 years and 179 days old. This happened on January 20, 2019.

At the time of his death, he was one of the oldest men ever recorded. He was also one of only four Japanese men to have lived to be 113. After his death, Gustav Gerneth from Germany became the world's oldest living man.

Images for kids

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  Chiyono Hasegawa (1896–2011) was another Japanese supercentenarian. She lived to be 115 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Masazou Nonaka para niños