A Japanese man hailed as Tokyo's oldest living man at age 111 has been found mummified in his room where he apparently died more than 30 years ago, Kyodo News Service reports.

The police broke into Sogen Kato's room at the request of ward officials who had been updating their list of centenarians ahead of Respect for the Elderly Day in September, Sky News reports.

Investigators suspect that Kato's death was kept secret so relatives could continue to receive his pension, Kyodo News Service reports.

The news service, quoting investigative sources, says relatives had barred repeated attempts by officials to visit Kato, saying he wanted to be "a living Buddha" and not have contact with outsiders.

An autopsy of the mummified body, which was dressed in pajamas, could not determine when he died or the cause of death, but authorities said the most recent newspaper in his room was from Nov. 5, 1978.

After ward officials were recently rebuffed from visiting Kato, a grandchild went to the local police station to report that when relatives tried to check on his room in March 25, they saw a skull.

''Grandpa was a very scary man. So we couldn't open the door,'' the grandchild was quoted as telling police, according to Japan Today. ''He shut himself up in the room without food or water.''

(Posted by Doug Stanglin)