SOGEN Kato, Japan’s oldest living man, has been found in his bed. He is dead. Mr Kato has been there for some time. Dressed in his underwear and pyjamas, Kato’s body is mummified.
Mr Kato’s granddaughter tells investigators, who had barged into his room after attempts to reach and congratulate him on reaching 111 not out failed, that he had been in the room for 30 years. He wanted to be a living Buddha. He wanted to be left alone.
Metro tells us (thanks Anorakaren):
The Japanese man was born on July 22, 1989…
They either die young in Japan or else the paper has erred. The BBC corrects matters:
He was thought to be the oldest man in Tokyo – but when officials went to congratulate Sogen Kato on his 111th birthday, they uncovered mummified skeletal remains lying in his bed.
It is thought Mr Kato died up to 30 years ago and that his family kept it secret to receive 9.5 million yen ($109,000) in widower’s pension since his wife died six years ago.
STOP PRESS: Old Mr Anorak’s grandma, the Dowager Anorak, will be posing for her still life class in the orangerie at noon today.
Posted: 30th, July 2010 | In: Strange But True Comments (10) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
Comments
July 30th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Bovril is very salty…..
July 30th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I don’t think the photograph is of him. I believe it’s that of ‘Highbury Bog Man’ who was discovered in the urinals of Highbury Stadium when it was being demolished. He was almost perfectly preserved and scientists have been able to establish that his last meal was a pie washed down with bovril
July 30th, 2010 at 2:20 pm
Well he’s younger than me too, and what is more worrying he’s so bleeding wrinkled, wonder what antiwrinkle moisturiser 3 point cream etc he used, I want none of it
July 30th, 2010 at 1:59 pm
Missed your chance now. These young whippersnappers are just too quick on the uptake
July 30th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Damn, I never thought of that.
July 30th, 2010 at 1:39 pm
You should have mentioned that in the Forums, it might have made the front page
July 30th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
Gosh, if he was born in 1989, it makes him younger than me!
July 30th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Well spotted that man( and/or woman). I’m surprised no one else picked up on that
July 30th, 2010 at 10:38 am
The paper has erred…he was born in 1899. He died in 1978, but the death was concealed until 2010.
July 30th, 2010 at 9:05 am
“The Japanese man was born on July 22, 1989…” That makes him 21 years old. not 111.