For the first time in 25 years , Japanese women have fallen behind those in Hong Kong in the longevity stakes.
Life expectancy for Japanese women dropped from 86.30 years in 2010 to 85.90 years in 2011, in part due to the tsunami of 2011, although the decline was apparent already with suicides increasing amongst Japanese women.
Consequently they fell below women in Hong Kong (86.70 years).
Longevity has always been linked to a healthy traditional diet.
Other factors contributing to the dip included a rise in the number of suicides among Japanese women, disease and other natural death causes, the report said.
The life expectancy for men in Japan also declined from 79.55 in 2010 to 79.44 last year, taking them down to eigth from fourth. (Kyodo News Agency)