Hikaru Katō
- Full name: Hikaru Katō (加藤光)
- Lifespan: (02.05.1914 – present)
- Age: 112 years
- Birthplace: Japan (Kumamoto)
- Last residence: Japan (Kumamoto)
- Application date: 09.09.2024
- Validation date: 26.09.2024
- Validation source: MHLW Japan
Biography
Hikaru Katō (Japanese: 加藤光) was born on May 2 1914 in Yamaga City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
After joining the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, he was drafted at the age of 24, just a year before World War II began, and was initially deployed to Taiwan. Four days after the war started, he landed in the Philippines, where he encountered American forces and sustained an injury to his right leg. Though he prepared himself for the possibility of death, he held faith in a Japanese victory. Later, he was stationed on the Indonesian island of Timor, where he ultimately learned of Japan’s defeat. When Australian forces invaded the island, Katō and his fellow Japanese soldiers were disarmed, handing over their rifles and ammunition. As a prisoner of war, he faced uncertainty but managed to sustain himself and others by growing sweet potatoes and vegetables on the island. Nine months after the war’s end, he returned to Japan in May 1946.
Upon his return, Katō resumed work as a clerk at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, contributing to Japan’s post-war agricultural recovery. He served in the Ministry until his retirement at the age of 59. In 1968, Katō was honored for his 30 years of service. After retiring in 1973, he continued contributing to his community by teaching pottery classes at a city-run Elderly Living Workshop, a hobby he enjoyed well into his mid-90s. He also devoted time to writing, completing his autobiography and regularly submitting letters about his war experiences to local newspapers in Kumamoto until he was 109 years old, each time expressing his hope that war would never happen again.
Katō currently resides in Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
Sources
At age 111
Validation
His age was verified by MHLW Japan and validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) on September 26 2024.