BIOGRAPHY

Kiyotaka Mizuno was born in Iwata, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, on 14 March 1914, as the eldest son of a farming family. He had one younger sister. He has lived through four eras: Taisho, Showa, Heisei, and Reiwa.

In his youth, Mizuno served as a guard for the Emperor and was stationed at the Imperial Palace during the February 26 Incident in 1936, an attempted military coup in Tokyo led by young army officers seeking political reform. Later, during World War II, he was deployed to the continent, where he narrowly escaped death before returning to Iwata.

After the war, Mizuno became a farmer, producing crops such as taro and white onions, and continued his agricultural work until the age of 80.

Now 111 years old, Mizuno continues to live at home with his eldest son, daughter-in-law, and grandchild, requiring only minimal care. Just before turning 109, he lost his eyesight, but until then, he maintained a daily habit of reading newspapers and walking indoors to stay active and healthy. Despite his vision loss and diminished hearing, he still enjoys listening to sumo wrestling and marathon broadcasts through headphones.

His daily routine begins at 6:30 a.m., when he wakes up and starts his day. Even after turning 100, he has maintained a consistent and mindful approach to his diet. Every morning, he eats a banana with breakfast, and for dinner, he always includes yogurt. He also enjoys two daily snacks—milk and castella (Japanese sponge cake) at 10:00 a.m., and Yakult (a probiotic drink) with biscuits at 3:00 p.m.

In the past, Mizuno used to enjoy drinking alcohol every night, but he decided to quit at the age of 95 for health reasons. He continues to eat three meals a day, focusing on seasonal ingredients while keeping his portions moderate at about 70% of his capacity.

Despite his advanced age, Mizuno stays active. He spends his day sitting in a chair while exercising his hands and feet, and when he is in the living room with his family, they adjust the TV to his preferred channels so he can enjoy news programs and live sports broadcasts.

RECOGNITION

Following the death of Kentaro Muramatsu of Yaizu City on 23 November 2021, Mizuno became the oldest living man in Shizuoka Prefecture.

His age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 11 July 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

(Parts of Kiyotaka Mizuno’s biography were gathered through interviews conducted by LongeviQuest with his family.)

* “水野さん（磐田）108歳に 県内男性最高齢 市が茶寿お祝い” – Shizuoka Shimbun, 19 March 2022

GALLERY