And so all that hype about the health benefits of fish oil is nothing but hooey? Maybe so.
Japan prides itself for the longevity of many of its people, boasting of its superior diet and tender loving care of its elderly. And now this: at least 281 centenarians have disappeared altogether. And some have been found in unsatisfactory condition. Japan's "oldest people" are mummies?
The Japanese people are pretty upset to find out that many of the oldest people in their society, and the whole world, aren't alive at all.
One man, Sogen Kato, age 111, was found mummified in his bed -- and had been kept their by his daughter for 32 years. Apparently she needed his pension checks.
Another woman, Fusa Furuya, was listed at 125-years-old, but she couldn't be located. Her last known address had been turned into a city park in 1981.
So, a new kind of Japanese character has crept into their consciousness, a kind of Norman Bates-san who's been taking care of grandma. "Wait here while I go get her. She so likes to sit in the rocker ..." Yikes!
Anyhow, the safety net is a bit frayed over there too.
Eric Talmadge & Shino Yuasa (AP) tell us more about the lost elderly.
The confusion over Japan's centenarians has hit a sensitive nerve at a time when a growing number of people are living their last years alone.
Japan has 40,399 people aged 100 or older, according to last year's annual health ministry report marking Respect for the Aged Day, a national holiday on Sept. 21.