World's oldest man dies at 113+

MIYAZAKI, Japan, June 19 Kyodo -
Tomoji Tanabe, the oldest man in the world as recognized by Guinness World
Records, died Friday of chronic heart failure at 113 at his home in Miyakonojo,
Miyazaki Prefecture, city officials said.

Born in Miyakonojo on Sept. 18, 1895, Tanabe used to say that the key to
longevity was ''not smoking and not drinking.'' His daily routine included
drinking milk at 3 p.m., reading newspapers and keeping a diary.
After retiring from the city office, Tanabe, a civil engineer, was involved in
agricultural activities.
Tanabe was designated the world's oldest man in June 2007 after a Puerto Rican
man died at the age of 115.
He had been mostly bed-ridden since early May and could not eat. He died in his
sleep at daybreak Friday, according to a prefectural official.
Following Tanabe's death, Jiroemon Kimura, a 112-year-old resident of Kyotango,
Kyoto Prefecture, has become the oldest man in Japan, the prefectural
government said.
Kimura, who lives at home with his family, is in good health, according to the
local authority.
==Kyodo