Hikaru Katō, 111, Confirmed as Japan’s Oldest Living Man

Hikaru Katō, a resident of Kumamoto City, has been officially confirmed as the new Oldest Living Man in Japan, at the age of 111 years, 284 days. Kumamoto City confirmed the news after the death of the previous titleholder, Kiyotaka Mizuno, on 8 February.

Hikaru Katō (加藤光) was born on 2 May 1914, in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture. After joining the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, he was drafted before World War II and served in Taiwan, the Philippines—where he was wounded fighting American forces—and later on the Indonesian island of Timor. He learned of Japan’s defeat there, was disarmed by Australian forces, survived as a prisoner of war by growing food, and returned to Japan in May 1946. Upon his return, Katō resumed work as a clerk at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, contributing to Japan’s post-war agricultural recovery. He served in the Ministry until his retirement at the age of 59.

In 1968, Katō received an award in recognition of his 30 years of service. After retiring in 1973, he continued to contribute to his community by teaching pottery classes at a city-run Elderly Living Workshop, a hobby he enjoyed well into his mid-90s. He also devoted time to writing, completing his autobiography and regularly submitting letters about his war experiences to local newspapers in Kumamoto until he was 109 years old, each time expressing his hope that war would never happen again.

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