How The "Oldest Man in Japan was Discovered To Have Died 30 Years Prior

Sogen Kato, born on July 22, 1899, was believed to be the oldest man in Tokyo until his mummified remains were discovered in his bedroom in July 2010. It was determined that he most likely passed away in November 1978, at the age of 79, and his family had kept his death a secret.

The Background Story

Officials were able to locate Kato's residence in Adachi, Tokyo, but his family members repeatedly refused to let them meet him. The family cited various reasons for their refusal, including Kato being in a vegetative state and his purported progress towards Sokushinbutsu, a state of self-mummification.

On Wednesday, July 27, 2010, police and ward officials discovered Kato's body when they forced their way into his house after being denied access by his family once again. The officials had planned to honor Kato for his longevity on Respect for the Aged Day, which was to take place later that year.

Kato's mummified body was discovered in a bedroom on the first floor of his residence. He was found lying on a bed, dressed in pajamas and underwear, and covered with a blanket.

Newspapers dating back to the Shōwa period, spanning three decades, were discovered in the same room where Kato's body was found. This finding indicates that Kato may have passed away around November 1978.

The Case Against Kato's Family

In August 2010, after Kato's body was found, two of his relatives, Michiko Kato, 81, Kato's daughter, and Tokimi Kato, 53, his granddaughter, were arrested and later accused of committing fraud.

They informed the police that he had chosen to seclude himself in his room over 30 years ago and had attained the status of a living Buddha.

It was discovered that Kato's family had received 9.5 million yen (equivalent to $109,000 USD or £70,000 GBP) in widower's pension payments through Kato's bank account since his wife passed away six years before the truth about his life was discovered.

It is believed that Kato was eligible for senior welfare benefits once he turned 70, and his family may have taken advantage of this as well. Investigators revealed that the two relatives who were arrested had committed fraud by deceiving the Japan Mutual Aid Association of Public School Teachers, who had been transferring funds into Kato's account.

Tokimi Kato was sentenced to a 2½ year prison term for fraud by the Tokyo District Court in November 2010. However, the sentence was suspended for four years. During the trial, Judge Hajime Shimada noted that the defendant had committed a heinous crime to secure revenue for her family. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Tokimi Kato had repaid the pension benefits and expressed remorse for her actions.

Nationwide Investigation

Following the discovery of Kato's mummified remains, investigations into elderly centenarians across Japan revealed reports of missing individuals and inaccurate record-keeping. In Tokyo, authorities also attempted to locate the city's oldest woman, Fusa Furuya, who was registered as residing with her daughter and was believed to be 113 years old.

When authorities tried to locate Fusa Furuya, her daughter informed them that she hadn't seen her mother in over 25 years. The news of Furuya's disappearance, along with Kato's death, triggered a nationwide investigation into the accuracy of records of elderly citizens.

Japan has the highest population of elderly people in the world, with 23.1 percent of the population aged 65 and over as of October 2010, and 11.1 percent aged 75 and over. This is largely due to a very low birth rate, with only 1.25 babies being born per woman as of 2005, whereas the number needed to maintain a stable population is 2.1. The aging issue in Japan has been compounded by the government's reluctance to allow immigration into the country; as of 2005, foreign nationals accounted for only 1.2 percent of the total population.