The Oldest Man and Woman In Tokyo

Sponge Bob · 03-08-2010 10:38am #1

Love this pair of stories. Some bureaucrat went to visit Sagen Kato last week. He was the oldest man in Tokyo, 111 years young. But they hit a snag.

Officials grew suspicious earlier this year when they attempted to visit Kato, who was to turn 111 last month. His family refused to let anyone in to see him, and repeatedly chased welfare officials away.
Eventually returning with police, the welfare officials discovered a mummified corpse, believed to be Kato, lying on a bed in his underwear and pajamas.

and

Police suspect Kato's family -- his 79-year-old daughter and two grandchildren -- had hidden Kato's death in order to keep collecting his pension. They reportedly received upwards of 9.5 million yen (about $190,000).
The family, however, has an alibi: they claim Kato had "confined himself in his room more than 30 years ago and became a living Buddha,"

I can imagine many Living Buddhas popping up in Tallaghtfornia over the next few year

. But back to Tokyo. The bureaucrats decided to check on the Oldest Woman in Tokyo , Fusa Furaya ....a sprightly 113 years young.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10848254

When officials went to Ms Furuya's home, they discovered that she had been missing for decades. Her daughter told them she had not been in contact with her mother when she moved into the flat in 1986.
But she had registered her mother as living there, and kept paying her health insurance, just in case. Efforts are now under way to trace Mrs Furuya's son to find out if she is living with him.

However the oldest woman in Japan....is alive, confirmed . Phew!