He may be the world's oldest man, but Tomoji Tanabe celebrated with two birthday parties on Tuesday to mark his 112th year.

He may be the world's oldest man, but Tomoji Tanabe celebrated with two birthday parties on Tuesday to mark his 112th year.

Born in the same year as King George VI, who died in 1952, the sprightly Mr Tanabe said he has no plans to die and told reporters that he "wants to live indefinitely."

Declared the oldest man in the world by the Guinness Book of Records in January, Mr Tanabe ascribes his longevity to not touching alcohol and not smoking. He also keeps a diary and reads the newspaper every day to keep his mind active, he said.

A diet of vegetables keeps him fit, Mr Tanabe said after accepting a bouquet of flowers and a present of Y100,000 (£450) from the mayor of his hometown of Miyakonojo, in southern Japan.

He also insists on drinking milk and taking a stroll around the neighbourhood every day. A city official described Mr Tanabe as "extremely healthy," a description that can be applied to thousands of other Japanese.

With improvements in healthcare, Japanese people are living longer than ever and the number of people here over the age of 100 is expected to reach 32,000 next month.

One in five Japanese are aged 65 or older and Japanese women can expect to live to see their 85th birthday. In the meantime, the number of children being born in Japan is declining, leaving the country with major concerns over how it will fund healthcare and social security payments in the future with a contracting work force.

Japan marked its Respect for the Elderly national holiday on Monday, with Mr Tanabe celebrating with local dignataries on Tuesday morning and then with his family.

Above article appeared on www.telegraph.co.uk