World's oldest man, Sakari Momoi, dies at 112

The world’s oldest man Sakari Momoi has died at 112 of chronic kidney failure in Japan, officials said on Tuesday.

Momoi, the former high school principal and father of five children, died at a Tokyo hospital on Sunday where he had lived for many years.

Fond of reading, especially Chinese poetry, Momoi had been named the oldest man by Guinness in August last year after a man born in Poland, who was then the world’s oldest, died in June 2014 at the age of 111 in the US.

“I want to live for about two more years,” the supercentenarian had said when recognised as the world’s oldest male.

Momoi taught agricultural chemistry and was a principal at public high schools in Saitama and Fukushima prefectures, Kyodo news agency quoted municipal officials as saying.

His death has come a day after the world’s oldest living person celebrated her 116th birthday.

Susannah Mushatt Jones of Brooklyn, New York was recognised as the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records on Monday.

Born in 1903 in Fukushima, Momoi picked healthy eating and plenty of sleep as secrets for his longevity.

Following his death, Yasutaro Koide, a 112-year-old Japanese man who was born a month after Momoi is likely to become the oldest man in the world.