Koide, just two months shy of his 113th birthday, died in hospital in the central Japanese city of Nagoya, a local official said Tuesday. He suffered from heart failure and pneumonia, Kyodo news agency reported.

A former tailor, Koide was born on March 13, 1903, shortly before the Wright brothers made their first successful flight.

He was recognized as the world's oldest male at 112 years last year by the Guinness Book of World Records. The record was previously held by another Japanese man who was just a month older than Koide.

Asked about the secret to his longevity, Koide reportedly said, "The best thing to do is to avoid overwork and live with joy." Over a quarter of Japan's 127 million people are over the age of 65, including 60,000 centenarians.

It was not known who would succeed the tailor as the world's oldest male. The oldest person is currently Susannah Mushatt Jones, a 116-year-old US citizen born on July 6, 1899.

mg/jlw (AFP, dpa)