The Centenarian Research Center continues to conduct surveys of people aged 100 and older across Japan. So how exactly do we meet centenarians, and what do we investigate?
We meet study participants in a variety of ways. In Kawasaki City and Arakawa Ward, our partner municipalities, invitations to participate in the study are sent, around Respect for the Aged Day, to relatively healthy individuals turning 100 that year. In other cases, based on information such as media reports or word of mouth—“there's a healthy person over 100 in this area”—our staff carefully reach out to make contact.
The survey is conducted by having a physician visit the centenarian directly at their home. In addition to a medical interview, physical examination, blood test, and electrocardiogram, we also take time to carefully ask about their sense of purpose, emotional richness, and personality tendencies in daily life. Questions such as “What has been the most important thing in your life so far?” become clues that help us approach the secrets of longevity.
After completing the survey, the physicians personally bring back the blood samples and recorded data. These are then passed on to the center's laboratory, where they are analyzed and stored for DNA and RNA research.
In FY2025, 15 new surveys were conducted nationwide, and in FY2026, 9 have already been completed (as of June 15). This steady accumulation of visits to centenarians, one by one, forms the foundation of our centenarian research.