Japan is now home to more than 100,000 centenarians, a new national r...

The story

At 103 years and seven months old, Fuku Amagawa continues to make ramen five days a week in Japan, where the centenarian population has surpassed a record 100,000 people.

Amagawa spends her workweek preparing ramen at the shop she and her family founded six decades ago. Unready to retire, she represents a milestone for Japan, which has set a new national record with more than 100,000 residents aged 100 or older.

Experts cite the country's healthy diet, low obesity rates, and universal healthcare system as primary factors behind the long lifespans. However, the milestone comes as Japan faces severe demographic challenges, including a shrinking overall population and a record-low birth rate that leaves fewer workers to support the expanding elderly population.

The majority of Japanese centenarians are women, a pattern scientists have yet to fully explain. Amagawa, however, has her own prescription for longevity: drinking a beer every night, eating a lot, and, most importantly, finding a reason to get up every morning.