Four of Mr. Kimura's five siblings lived past 90 and one brother died at 100. He had 7 children (5 survive), 14 grandchildren (13 survive), 25 great-grandchildren and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
Most of his
working life, 45 years, was spent working for the Japanese post office and he retired 51 years ago at the age of 65. He is known to have believed conversation, keeping an active mind and eating small portions of food were the keys to a long life.
Kimura: oldest man in history
At his final
birthday party less than two months ago, Mr. Kimura was not in good health so his death today was not unexpected. In his later years he lived primarily on a diet of rice and pumpkins and sweet potatoes, three times each day. Healthy eating habits didn't help him become the oldest Japanese person ever, though, he missed that title, held by a woman, Tane Ikai, who died in 1995, by just 122 days.
However, the Guinness Book or World Records lists Mr. Kimura as the oldest living man in history, earning that distinction on Dec. 28, 2012 when he turned 115 years, 253 days old, vaulting past a Danish/American, Christian Mortensen who died in 1998 at the age of 115 years, 252 days.
Mr. Kimura died in the top ten of longevity as the ninth oldest human, and again, oldest male, ever. In the top 100 longest lives ever list, two of them still alive, 7 are male and 93 are women. All of the top ten oldest persons now living are female.
