BIOGRAPHY

Gisaburō Sonobe was born in Japan on November 6, 1911. Sonobe taught Japanese language and social studies at junior and senior high schools for many years, and after retirement, worked as a librarian until the age of 80.

His former students held a class reunion to celebrate his 100th birthday. Even at the age of 110, he was very much admired by his former students, as evidenced by them exchanging New Year’s cards with him.

Reading was a longtime hobby of his, and he especially liked reading about politics and health. He also enjoyed health programs on TV, practiced health methods introduced on TV, and was careful to eat a well-balanced diet. He especially liked eating potatoes and vegetables to get enough calcium. He also took care of his teeth and never wore dentures.

Gisaburō Sonobe passed away in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan on 31 March 2024 at 112 years, 146 days.

RECOGNITION

Following the death of 109-year-old Kingo Yumoto on 2 December 2019, Sonobe became the oldest living man in Chiba Prefecture.

On 15 November 2022, following the death of 111-year-old Shigeru Nakamura of Hiroshima Prefecture, Sonobe became the oldest living man in Japan.

His age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Bogdan Solyanikov and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 30 May 2023.

At the time of his passing, Sonobe was the world’s second-oldest (validated) living man, after Juan Vicente Pérez Mora of Venezuela, who passed away just two days later.

ATTRIBUTION

* “令和4年度老人の日記念行事「百歳高齢者に対する記念品贈呈」について” – Chiba Prefecture, 16 September 2022

* “薗部さん 国内男性で２位” – Tokyo Shimbun (morning edition, page 18), 10 October 2022

* “男性で国内最高齢１１１歳の中村茂さんが死去…口癖は「戦争はだめ、平和が一番」” – Yomiuri Shimbun, 15 November 2022

GALLERY