TOKYO — Police are investigating whether the family of Tokyo’s “oldest man” — who appears to have been dead at home for decades — fraudulently received pension money paid to him, news reports said yesterday.

City officials went to see Sogen Kato, listed as Tokyo’s oldest man, to congratulate him on his 111th birthday, but discovered he had been dead for 30 years. Officials had long tried to meet Kato, but his family members would not let them in, saying Kato did not want to see them.

On Wednesday, police officers forced their way into the house and found the mummified body in bed. An autopsy could not identify the cause or time of Kato’s death, but since no newspapers newer than one dated November 5 1978 were found in the room, and based on his family’s account, he is likely to have died around that time.

Some 6,1 million yen (R515 417) had been withdrawn from a total of 9.5 million yen paid to Kato as a pension.