Shigeru Nakamura, a 111-year-old recognized as Japan's oldest man, died Tuesday at a nursing home in Hiroshima Prefecture where he resided, the facility said.
Born on Jan. 11, 1911, in Jinsekikogen in the western Japan prefecture, Nakamura was exposed to the after-effects of the Aug. 6, 1945, atomic bombing of Hiroshima by U.S. forces in the closing stages of World War II, after he went to help clean up rubble in the devastated city following the attack.
Nakamura became Japan's oldest man after the previous titleholder died at age 112 in Nara Prefecture on Sept. 9 this year. In an interview with Kyodo News at the time, Nakamura said the secret to his health was "loving people."
Nakamura engaged in civil engineering work for many years, and recalled that he was "happiest" when working in road construction in his mountainous home region.
According to Guinness World Records, as of May this year, Venezuelan man Juan Vicente Perez is the world's oldest living man at 113. Perez was born on May 27, 1909, according to Guinness.
Japan's oldest man is now 111-year-old Gisaburo Sonobe from Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, while the country's oldest person overall is Fusa Tatsumi, a 115-year-old woman in Osaka Prefecture, according to the health ministry.
