At 100 years old, Dr. Kasamatsu still regularly visits Kasamatsu Hospital in Kainan city, seeing outpatients, mostly those she has known for years. At the hospital overlooking Wakayama Bay, the white-haired doctor, wearing a lab coat, smiles gently as she chats with patients while reviewing their medical records.
"Your blood pressure is a little high," Dr. Kasamatsu tells a patient. "Please remember to bring your medical record book for your next visit."
The hospital was founded in 1909, and Dr. Kasamatsu has been associated with it for nearly 80 years. Her philosophy is clear: "The most important thing is to listen to what the patients want to say."
Currently, the hospital is directed by her 68-year-old son, Dr. Satoshi. He says his mother excels at creating a comfortable atmosphere that encourages patients to confide in her. "She chats about even small matters, seemingly easing their burdens," adds Dr. Hitomi, Dr. Kasamatsu's daughter-in-law.
According to statistics from the Japanese Ministry of Health at the end of 2022, among approximately 340,000 practicing doctors, 86 were 98 or older.
Dr. Kasamatsu was born in 1925 in what is now Kinokawa city, Wakayama Prefecture, into a family of five siblings. The war escalated while she was in high school. Witnessing many women lose their husbands in the war, her father advised her to learn a trade to be self-reliant. Taking his advice, she chose to become a doctor.
Graduating in 1948, she married surgeon Shigeru at 24. When Dr. Shigeru took over Kasamatsu Hospital from his father, Dr. Kasamatsu began working there alongside her husband. Together, they ran the hospital while raising three children.
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Dr. Teru Kasamatsu (center) examining a patient at Kasamatsu Hospital in Kainan city, Wakayama Prefecture, on 5/9. Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun. |
Dr. Teru Kasamatsu (center) examining a patient at Kasamatsu Hospital in Kainan city, Wakayama Prefecture, on 5/9. Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Dr. Kasamatsu recalls days of seeing up to 120 patients, not to mention sleepless nights assisting with emergency surgeries. "I did everything from examining patients and prescribing medicine to accounting," she says. When the hospital needed a chef, she took classes and earned a cooking certificate in her 30s.
Despite a busy schedule and having undergone treatment for cancer, Dr. Kasamatsu remains active. She says the secrets to her longevity are diet and maintaining mental acuity. "Eat plenty of vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and okra to keep blood sugar levels low," she advises.
Now a widow, she lives alone in a house next to the hospital and still gets around without a cane. Her daily routine includes spending one to two hours on number puzzles to prevent dementia. She also enjoys playing the piano, which she started learning at 70.
Dr. Kasamatsu continues her weekly lessons and once performed Beethoven's "Für Elise" in a solo recital. In her free time, she reads medical journals to stay updated. Dr. Kasamatsu affirms she has no plans to retire. "I feel completely healthy," she says.
The Japanese Ministry of Health announced on 12/9 that the number of citizens over 100 in Japan reached 99,763 as of September, marking 55 consecutive years of growth and an all-time high.
Of the nearly 100,000 centenarians in Japan, women make up 88%. The oldest person is Shigeko Kagawa, 114, from outside Nara city. The oldest man is Kiyotaka Mizuno, 111, from the coastal city of Iwata.
Binh Minh (Asia News Network)
