Thursday 29th July, 08:37 PM JST
TOKYO —
The mummified remains believed to be of a man recognized as the oldest living male in Tokyo have been found at his home in the capital’s Adachi Ward, investigative sources said Thursday. Sogen Kato would have been 111 years old were he alive today. His family says he remained cloistered in his room after declaring some 30 years ago that he wanted to be a living Buddha, according to the sources.
Police are questioning his family members about the circumstances of his death, while investigating whether they have attempted to fraudulently receive roughly 9.5 million yen that was paid to Kato as a survivor pension after his wife, a former teacher, died six years ago at age 101, the sources said, adding 2.7 million yen was withdrawn from Kato’s bank account earlier this month.
An autopsy on the remains failed to pinpoint the cause or the estimated time of the person’s death, but given that no newspapers newer than one dated Nov. 5, 1978, were found in the room and based on the family’s account, Kato is most likely to have died around then, the sources said. According to the Tokyo metropolitan government and the police, Kato was born on July 22, 1899. His 81-year-old daughter, her 83-year-old husband and their two children aged 53 and 49 live in the house. His wife died in August 2004.
Local officials had repeatedly visited Kato’s home since earlier this year to see if he was still alive, but his family refused to let them in, saying Kato was in Gifu Prefecture, according to the Adachi Ward office.
But on Wednesday, one of Kato’s grandchildren visited a local police station to say that when family members tried to check on his room on March 25, they saw a skull. ‘‘Grandpa was a very scary man. So, we couldn’t open the door,’’ the grandchild was quoted as telling the police. ‘‘He shut himself up in the room without food or water.’‘
The police searched the house the same day and found what are believed to be Kato’s remains on a bed. The remains were covered in a blanket and dressed in long underwear, the sources said.
© 2010 Kyodo News
