TOKYO, Jan. 19 -- The world's oldest man Yasutaro Koide died on Tuesday aged 112 years old at a hospital in Nagoya, central Japan.

Koide, who was born in Fukui Prefecture on March 13, 1903 and worked as a tailor, was certified in August last year by the Guinness World Records as being the world's oldest man.

The record-holding tailor finished his career after moving to work in Osaka, producing formal wear for special occasions.

Local media quoted the granddaughter of the centenarian as saying that her grandfather was constantly at his sewing machine, hand-making a wide variety of clothes, from formal wear to underwear.

"Not pushing oneself and being happy about everything," was Koide's secret to living a long life, he told reporters upon being awarded with the world record last year.

Koide became the world's oldest man following the death of Sakari Momoi from Saitama Prefecture in July last year who was also112 years old.

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, relatives of Koide said he passed away following being admitted to a hospital in Nagoya for heart disease, having fallen ill a month earlier.

The oldest man in Japan is now Masamitsu Yoshida who is 111 years old and lives in Tokyo.