Tokyo's oldest man...wasn't.

[TriSec]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10809128

He was thought to be the oldest man in Tokyo - but when officials went to congratulate Sogen Kato on his 111th birthday, they uncovered mummified skeletal remains lying in his bed.

Mr Kato may have been dead for 30 years according to Japanese authorities.

They grew suspicious when they went to honour Mr Kato at his address in Adachi ward, but his granddaughter told them he "doesn't want to see anybody".

Police are now investigating the family on possible fraud charges.

[zowanda]

Rut ro....someone got some splaining to do.

[haroldmarshall]

In a later statement, Mr. Kato's granddaughter explained,
"No one ever said he was Tokyo's oldest living man!"

[TriSec]

In a follow-up to this story, seems like the latest "centenarian census" in Japan has uncovered a few interesting things...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-10949562

Nearly 200 centenarians in Japan are missing, according to a national audit.

The inquiry followed the discovery last month of the mummified remains of a man registered as being 111 years old.

Among those missing are 21 people who would be older than the nation's current official oldest person of 113.

There are more than 40,000 centenarians in Japan, according to government data, but the number of missing has raised concerns that the welfare system is being exploited by dishonest relatives.