90-Year-Old Bodybuilder Wins Japan’s Over-85 Championship — And He’s Still Chasing Records
At 90 years old, Toshisuke Kanazawa is still stepping onto the bodybuilding stage — and he has just added another national title to a career spanning more than six decades.
Kanazawa won the men’s 85-and-over division at the 38th Japan Masters Bodybuilding Championships, held on Aug. 30 at the Hiroshima International Conference Center. The competition was organized by the Japan Bodybuilding & Fitness Federation (JBBF).
What makes the victory even more remarkable is the timing: Kanazawa turned 90 on Aug. 29, just one day before the competition.
He was the oldest competitor at the championships and faced six other athletes in the 85-and-over division. During the preliminary round, competitors performed required poses before the finalists returned for individual one-minute free-posing routines.
When Kanazawa was announced as the winner, the crowd erupted in cheers.
His 17th Masters victory
The latest win was not simply another competition for Kanazawa.
According to Japanese bodybuilding publication VITUP!, it marked his 17th Japan Masters championship victory. Combined with his two victories in Japan’s national bodybuilding championship during the 1960s, his latest title brought his reported total of Japanese championship victories to 19.
His earlier national victories came in 1960 and 1963, when he was competing in the open Japanese bodybuilding championship. Historical competition records also document those two wins.
He started decades ago — and never completely walked away
Kanazawa’s bodybuilding journey began when he was young. According to the Hiroshima Training Center, he had originally competed in the 1,500-meter freestyle before becoming increasingly interested in bodybuilding. He later won the Japanese championship twice before stepping away from competition and eventually returning to active bodybuilding at around 50.
His longevity has made him a familiar figure in Japanese bodybuilding.
In 2023, at age 87, he also competed in the Japanese Men’s Bodybuilding Championship and set a record as the oldest participant in that competition.
About 200 athletes competed
The 2026 Japan Masters event brought together roughly 200 competitors ranging from 41 to 90 years old across 13 categories, according to NHK’s report.
The JBBF confirms that its Masters championship in Hiroshima included six men’s age divisions beginning with 60-and-over and extending through the 85-and-over class.
Kanazawa’s division had seven entrants, making his victory a genuine competitive result rather than an honorary recognition.
And retirement does not appear to be on his mind
After winning, Kanazawa said he wants to continue aiming for world records.
Japanese reports have also highlighted his unusually ambitious longevity goals. He has spoken about wanting to live to 130, while emphasizing the importance of continuing to have goals as he ages.
His story also puts the spotlight on the growing role of masters bodybuilding, where competitors continue training and competing well beyond traditional athletic retirement ages.
Kanazawa’s victory does not prove that intense bodybuilding is suitable for everyone at an advanced age. Rather, his career is an extraordinary individual example of long-term commitment to training and competition.
At 90, he has already achieved something most athletes can only dream of.
But if he is still winning at 90, the bigger question may be: How much longer does this bodybuilding legend plan to keep competing?
WWC ONE MEDIA J.M.D