More than 230,000 Japanese centenarians 'missing'

More than 230,000 elderly people in Japan who are listed as being aged 100 or over are unaccounted for, officials said following a nationwide inquiry. An audit of family registries was launched last month after the remains of the man thought to be Tokyo's oldest were found at his family home. Relatives are accused of fraudulently receiving his pension for decades. Officials have found that hundreds of the missing would be at least 150 years old if still alive. The Justice Ministry said some of those unaccounted for may have died as long ago as World War II, possibly during the post-war turmoil. Others may have emigrated without reporting their status to local authorities, or relatives simply did not report the deaths.

Mizuho Aoki: GROWING OLD ALONE: Cleanup after unnoticed death now a growing industry in Japan.