In fact, Japan's growing senior citizen population is becoming a major concern for the government. You can read an old BBC article about HERE.
But this blog has not come to bury the seniors, but rather to praise them.
Back in 1992, Japan was all abuzz about a set of twin sisters who were turning 100 years-old. While turning 100 was becoming a tad commonplace in Japan, this was the first known example of twins doing it.
Kin Narita (成田 きん) and Gin Kanie (蟹江 ぎん) were born on August 1, 1892 with the maiden name of Yano (矢野) in Narumi-machi (Narumi Village) in what is now the Midori ward in Nagoya, Aichi-ken (province of Aichi).
Known collectively as "Kinsan Ginsan", they became national celebrities for their twin long lives and began appearing all over every type of media then known - heck, look at the telephone card above. Kin, whose name means Gold, is on the right. Her younger twin Gin, whose name means Silver, is on the left.
These two wonderful people were hale, healthy and with it, as I believe they even recorded a CD of their songs - sung during their 100th year.
The girls were identical twins, though they did have differing blood types (The Japanese believe that blood types offer differing personality traits, much in the same way astrology does).
Kin, who had blood type O (agreeable, sociable, optimistic, and conversely, vain, rude, jealous and arrogant) died on January 23, 2000, at the age of 107. News reports noted that her favourite food was red-fleshed fish, and that her cause of death was heart failure.
Gin had blood type A (earnest, creative, sensible, reserved, patient and responsible, and conversely fastidious, over-earnest, stubborn, tense and conservative), and died on February 28, 2001 at the age of 108. She preferred fish with white meat. For some reason her cause of death was old age.
What I infer from their two deaths is that one is NOT considered old until you hit 108. Okay, I'm joking, but you can see how improper use of words and journalistic reporting can make something sound wrong.
What's not a joke, is that Japan pretty much went into national mourning when each of the ladies died.
Unfortunately, these two ladies did NOT smoke or drink heavily... so there's no hope for most of us!
Why do the Japanese live to such wonderfully long age? Some people say it's their diet - heavily based on seafood. I suppose theirs a lot of Omega 3 acids in seafood. Then again, the Japanese drink a lot of green tea (o-cha) - the Japanese who smoke, smoke a lot... and not once did I ever hear a Japanese person have even the slightest inkling of a smoker's cough. I have no proof of its powers... it's just an observation.
Somewhere fishing for compliments,
Andrew Joseph
Today's song is by The Rolling Stones--sung by Keith Richards... who should have died many years ago, except for his deal with The Devil. Have a listen to the song HERE.
