Sogen Kato was approaching his 111th birthday and was officially listed as Tokyo’s oldest man.
As local authorities prepared their list of centenarians ahead of Respect for the Aged Day, officials asked police to help verify his whereabouts. When officers entered his home, they made a disturbing discovery.
Kato’s mummified body was lying in his bed, dressed in underwear and pajamas and covered with a blanket. According to police and Tokyo authorities, he had reportedly been dead for approximately 30 years.
His granddaughter told investigators that Kato had locked himself inside his room after declaring that he wanted to become a “living Buddha.” This practice is associated with an extreme form of religious asceticism linked to the Shingon Buddhist tradition.
However, that explanation represented the family’s account. The exact date and cause of Kato’s death were never confirmed.
Meanwhile, investigators examined whether family members had continued collecting his pension despite his death. His daughter was eventually sentenced to two years in prison for fraud.
