Japanese Men And Women Living Longer
Japan's average life expectancy reached record highs for both men and women last year.
The health and welfare ministry says the average lifespan was 87.45 years for women and 81.41 for men.
The figures fell in 2011, when a massive earthquake and tsunami hit eastern Japan.
But since then, the average lifespan has set new records for seven straight years for women and eight years for men.
Women in Japan have the second-longest lifespan after Hong Kong, while men came in third behind Hong Kong and Switzerland.
Death rates from cancer, heart ailments and cerebrovascular diseases are declining in Japan.
Ministry officials expect the average lifespan to continue lengthening moderately, due to rising health awareness and better eating habits.
