For Masahiko Tanabe, 71, the secret to staying young is to stay curious. Having worked in the technological and petrochemical fields for more than 45 years, Tanabe's fascination with accounting led him to acquire a degree as a U.S. certified public accountant at the age of 70.
"The logic of accounting is amusing for technicians -- the debit and credit sides always balance. I call that 'the law of immortal energy,' " he said.
After graduating from the department of engineering at the University of Tokyo, Tanabe joined Mitsubishi Kasei Corp. in 1954, where he took part in the opening of its petrochemical unit, Mitsubishi Petrochemical Co.