Japan's oldest man, Nijiro Tokuda, dies at 111

Japan's oldest man, Nijiro Tokuda, dies at 111; woman, 113, its oldest person

TOKYO (AP) - The oldest man in Japan, Nijiro Tokuda, has died at the age of 111, officials said Tuesday.

Tokuda, of Kagoshima in southern Japan, died Monday night at a hospital where he had been treated since April, city official Masayuki Nagahama said.

Tokuda had just celebrated his 111th birthday Saturday.

Japan's oldest person is a 113-year-old woman, Yone Minagawa of Fukuoka, also in southern Japan, who was born in January 1893, Health Ministry official Ken Hongo said.

Japan has one of the world's longest average life spans. In 2003, Japanese women set a record for life expectancy, at 85.3 years, while men live an average of 78.3 years.