JOETSU, Niigata Pref.,

Chitetsu Watanabe, a 112-year-old resident of Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan, won recognition as the world's oldest man from Guinness World Records on Wednesday.

He showed his pleasure saying, "Congratulations," when he received a certificate at a nursing home. He struck a victory pose for pictures.

Watanabe, whose hobby is calligraphy, wrote "oldest in the world" in Japanese and showed the work to reporters.

Born on March 5, 1907, in Uragawara, now part of Joetsu, he worked at a sugar factory in Taiwan after graduating from an agricultural school. He returned to Japan after the end of World War II and worked at a branch office of the Niigata prefectural government until he reached the age of retirement.

"Laughing" is the key to a long life, according to Watanabe.

His 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren call him "big grandpa." They have been waiting eagerly for him to be recognized as the world's oldest man, said Yoko, wife of Watanabe's eldest son.

Watanabe was not feeling well for a while late last year, but he is now eating three meals a day and also enjoying sweets such as Japanese custard pudding and ice cream, a worker at the nursing home said.

Masazo Nonaka, a resident of Ashoro, Hokkaido, northernmost Japan, who previously held the title of the world's oldest man, died in January last year.

JIJI Press