Talk:Tomoji Tanabe

Younger brother?
I have read that Tomoji Tanabe has a living younger brother, Hiroshi Tanabe, at age 103. Can anyone confirm that? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.60.205.172 (talk) 17:59, 19 September 2007 (UTC)
 * Interesting question: can anyone confirm this? Extremely sexy 17:03, 20 September 2007 (UTC)

Why not show us your source and we can decide whether it's legit or not? Anyways, try doing a Google search on "Hiroshi Tanabe." And then another 1 with Tomoji next to the name. I tried doing that and no luck. Neal (talk) 00:48, 30 January 2008 (UTC).

Is he a World War 1 veteran?
Has anyone ever checked to see if he served in the Japanese military during World War 1? Militaries have historically been good places to teach surveying (his profession). JeepAssembler (talk) 22:19, 22 February 2008 (UTC)


 * What would Japan be doing in World War I? Neal (talk) 00:50, 27 March 2008 (UTC).

During World War 1 Japan seized Germany's colonial holdings in China and the Pacific Ocean; it also sent a Naval Squadron to assist the attempted British invasion of Turkey's Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. I am involved on the "Known Surviving Veterans of World War I" wikipedia page and am looking for any Japanese veterans of that war who were still alive after January 1st, 1999. 66.213.36.2 (talk) 19:41, 5 April 2008 (UTC)


 * You mean after December 31st, 1998 though. Extremely sexy (talk) 12:17, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

What I would like to know is what he was doing in the Second World War - towards the end of it, Japan was sending men 20 years older than he would have then been, into action. (Adam 120.18.184.108 (talk) 03:28, 31 July 2013 (UTC))

Mr. Tanabe is the 15th oldest as of June 2008
171. El Hadj Mohammed El Mokri     112	259+                  1844-September 16, 1957

Hello, I was just checking the truth of the statement "As of April 2008, Tanabe ranks among the top 15 oldest men ever." I just wanted to know if the El Hadj Mohammed El Mokri case was validated because it is on Mr. Epstein's list.'' 1. Shigechiyo Izumi	              120	237                   June 29, 1865-February 21, 1986

2. Christian Mortensen	              115	252                   August 16, 1882-April 25, 1998

3. Emiliano Del Toro	              115	156                   August 21, 1891-January 24, 2007

4. Mathew Beard	                      114     	222                   July 9, 1870-February 16, 1985

5. Yukichi Chuganji       	       114     	189                   March 23, 1889-September 28, 2003

6. Joan Riudavets	              114    	81                    December 15, 1889-March 5, 2004

7. Fred Hale		              113	354                   December 1, 1890-November 19, 2004

8. Moses Hardy	                      113     	335                   January 6, 1893-December 7, 2006

9. Johnson Parks      	               113 	275                   October 15, 1884-July 17, 1998

10. John McMorran   	               113     	250                   June 19, 1889-February 24, 2003

11. Frederick Frazier   	       113 	138                   January 27, 1880-June 14, 1993

12. Walter Richardson 	               113 	48                    November 7, 1885-December 25, 1998

13. Antonio Todde          	       112     	346                   January 22, 1889-January 3, 2002

14. John Evans	                      112	295                   August 19, 1877-June 10, 1990

16. El Hadj Mohammed El Mokri	      112	259+                  1844-September 16, 1957

15. Tomoji Tanabe	              112	265+                  September 18, 1895-

According to Mr. Epstein's list he is the 16th oldest man.

On Mr. Epstein's list it also says that [Gunther's INSIDE AFRICA claims he was younger, born in 1851 or so, and some sources even say born in 1854]

There are other cases on this list are also disputed such as Izumi and Beard. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.136.250.83 (talk) 01:32, 16 April 2008 (UTC)


 * His case is as disputed as Izumi's (Beard's is the most probable one of the three in fact). Extremely sexy (talk) 15:27, 19 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Izumi, Beard and Hardy are all disputed but they still on the top 100 list. What makes the El Hadj Mohammed El Mokri case different? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.136.250.83 (talk • contribs)


 * Just ask Louis Epstein, but who is Hardy, by the way, please? Extremely sexy (talk) 18:26, 19 April 2008 (UTC)

"Hardy" is Moses Hardy his age is disputed he may have benn born January 6, 1893 but many documents disagree and second I do not have Mr. Epstein's email or any means of contact, can you provide that? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.136.250.83 (talk • contribs)


 * Moses Hardy s by far the most probable, if any, of being true. TFBCT1 (talk) 11:27, 29 April 2008 (UTC)
 * Indeed so, since he was at least 112 (maybe 113), and Louis Epstein's e-mail address is le@main.put.com. Extremely sexy (talk) 12:38, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
 * Anonymous one, did you mail him? Extremely sexy (talk) 20:53, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

El Mokri's case is hardly likely, as he would have been running a country until he was almost 110 years old. He's more likely 102-105, but either way he ran a country until an extraodinarily old age. Robert Waalk (talk) 19:49, 14 May 2008 (UTC)
 * If that is true. Extremely sexy (talk) 20:52, 17 June 2008 (UTC)

Alternate spelling of name
I'm not sure if it is a typo or not, but CNN is showing a different spelling of his name as Tomoshi Tanabe.

--Rockfang (talk) 08:52, 18 September 2008 (UTC)
 * I have no idea. But if a creditable news source like CNN spells it like this, we should at least insert an redirect for people trying to search for Tomoshi Tanabe. But ugh, I don't know how to put one. Brendanology (talk) 09:09, 22 January 2010 (UTC)

Health condition
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF MR. TANABE IS STILL ABLE TO WALK. FROM PICTURES OF HIS 113TH BIRTHDAY HE LOOKS TO BE IN VERY GOOD HEALTH FOR HIS AGE. MAYBE HE WILL MAKE IT ANOTHER 10 YEARS! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 162.114.40.34 (talk) 20:10, 7 May 2009 (UTC)
 * Please do not shout. Regarding Tanabe's health, yes, he seemed very healthy ... up UNTIL just before his death. That goes to show that circumstances can change dramatically. Walter Breuning, who is currently the oldest man alive, seems very healthy to me too, but he might be dead tomorrow. (Not that I want him to.) You never know. Brendanology (talk) 09:09, 22 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Speaking of which, I'd like to add that we all cannot make crystal-ball predictions about the lives of supercentenarians. The topic of supercentenarians does not hold with such predictions, such as these chillingly (in)accurate predictions: Maria Capovilla ("soon to be 117"), Fred Hale ("soon to be 114"), or even Eva Morris ("soon to be 115") The fact is, all of these people died before reaching those ages. Brendanology (talk) 11:39, 25 January 2010 (UTC)

FYI: Tanabe-san is gone
Just so you're aware that Tanabe-san passed away on Friday (in Japan) 19 June 2009. Reported by the New York Times, the Guardian (UK), Japan Today, Houston Chronicle, Fox news affiliates, ABC News, San Francisco Chronicle, amongst others. I'm not particularly familiar with the templates used in the oldest people section and bios, so someone may want to update Tomoji Tanabe and Oldest people Dsf (talk) 05:39, 19 June 2009 (UTC)