The world's oldest man dies at 112

A Japanese man recently named as the oldest man on the planet has died at the age of 112, a local government official said on Tuesday 25 February.

Chitetsu Watanabe, born March 5, 1907 in Niigata, north of Tokyo, died Sunday in his retirement home located in the same region, said the official. The announcement of his death comes less than two weeks after he was recognized Dean of Humanity by the Guinness Book of Records.

Watanabe, a father of five, said that the secret to longevity was to " never get angry and keep a smile ." He also confessed a little fondness for delicacies such as custards and ice cream.

The oldest person in the world is Kane Tanaka, a 117-year-old woman who is also in Japan. The oldest man in Japan is now 110-year-old Issaku Tomoe, said the Japanese news agency Jiji, but it has not been established that he holds this world record.

Longevity in Japan is among the highest in the world and many nationals of the archipelago have been recognized as the deans of humanity. Among them Jiroemon Kimura, considered the longest-lived man, died shortly after his 116th birthday in June 2013.

The officially recognized human longevity record is held by Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived 122 years and 164 days before dying in 1997.