Masazo Nonaka: World's oldest man dies aged 113 in Japan

'We feel shocked at the loss of this big figure,' says family

The world’s oldest man has died in Japan at the age of 113.

Masazo Nonaka’s family said he died peacefully in his sleep at his home, a hot springs hotel on the northern main island of Hokkaido.

“We feel shocked at the loss of this big figure. He was as usual yesterday and passed away without causing our family any fuss at all,” said his granddaughter, Yuko Nonaka.

Mr Nonaka was certified as the world’s oldest living man last year at the age of 112 years and 259 days.

Born on 25 July 1905, shortly before Albert Einstein published his theory of special relativity, he went on to outlive all seven of his siblings, his wife, and three of his five children.

His favourite pastime was soaking in the hot springs at the hotel his family has run for four generations in the town of Ashoro.

After growing up in a large family, Mr Nonaka eventually took over the running of the traditional hot springs hotel – known as onsen ryokan in Japan – from his parents. The hotel, which has also stood the test of time and is 106 years old, is currently being run by his granddaughter.

At the time of being confirmed the world’s oldest man by Guinness World Records in April last year, Mr Nonaka was still able to move around by himself in a wheelchair. He read a newspaper each morning, enjoyed watching sumo wrestling and samurai TV dramas, and had a taste for cakes.

He died of natural causes in the early hours of Sunday, his family said.

Japan is known for the longevity of its citizens and has been home to a number of record-holders. They include Kane Tanaka, a woman who at 116 years and 18 days is the world’s oldest living person.

The oldest man in history whose age has been verified, Jiroemon Kimura, was also Japanese. He died in 2013 aged 116 years and 54 days.