OKINAWA, Japan, May 22 (UPI) -- Kameni Nakamura, Japan's oldest man, has died of natural causes in his hometown in Okinawa at the age of 109, the Japan Times said Saturday.
A former farmer, Nakamura credited his love of people and his sashimi-rich diet for his long life, said Sugako Oyama, who looked after him at Shirayuri-no-en, the nursing home he moved to seven years ago. Nakamura also ate a lot of tofu and drank coffee, usually with lots of milk and sugar, Oyama said.
Nakamura, who twice underwent cancer surgery, grew weak in recent years and was confined to his bed. He was hospitalized five days ago when he stopped eating and was fed intravenously until his death Thursday.
Okinawa Medical Hospital listed Nakamura's cause of death as old age.
Nakamura became Japan's oldest man in September after Yukichi Chuganji, a retired silkworm breeder documented as the world's oldest man, died at age 114, the Times noted.
Japan's oldest man is now Minsho Ozawa, who was born Oct. 11, 1894, it's oldest woman is Ura Koyama, 113, who lives in Fukuoka Prefecture.
