At 90, Japanese bodybuilder Toshisuke Kanazawa takes the stage in Spain — and eyes one more contest at 93
Nonagenarian Japanese bodybuilder Toshisuke Kanazawa took to the stage at the IFBB World Fitness and Bodybuilding Championships in Santa Susanna, Spain, on Friday, 30 October 2026, competing against rivals decades younger in the masters category for athletes aged 50 and over. He did not finish on the podium, but the 90-year-old left with a new target in mind.
Backstage, Kanazawa prepared like the younger competitors, warming up with his team and applying spray tan before taking the stage. “I like to try doing things that nobody else has done, and more than anything I want to pursue bodybuilding for the rest of my life,” he said.
Kanazawa credits his conditioning to a strict diet he says he has followed since turning 50: brown rice, natto — a fermented soya bean dish — and miso soup. “It’s really the classic Japanese way of eating. And thanks to that, I’ve gone 90 years without ever getting sick,” he said. That is his own account, not a medical finding. His career stretches back to Mr. Japan titles in the early 1960s, and he won a 19th Japanese national title — in the over-85 category in Hiroshima on 30 August 2026.
He is thinking about what comes next. “I’m thinking I might give it one more go at 93. After that, I’ll probably have to retire,” Kanazawa said. He hopes to encourage older people to stay active: “Once you set your mind to something, you need to develop the mental strength and determination to see it through no matter what.”
Why it matters
Kanazawa was 40 years above his division’s minimum age, yet competed on a world stage against athletes less than two-thirds his age. In a sport where most elite careers end decades earlier, it shows how long a sporting life can last when training and routine are kept up year after year. It also puts a human face on healthy ageing: a 90-year-old choosing to test himself in public, medal or not.
What happens next
The championships in Santa Susanna, which began on 29 October, were scheduled to run until Monday, 2 November 2026. A return at 93 would come in 2029, and remains only an idea he has spoken about, not a confirmed entry.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://wtbx.com/2026/10/30/japanese-bodybuilder-90-flexes-ageless-ambition-on-spanish-stage/ (Reuters, 31 October 2026)
- https://thesportsencounter.com/2026/10/31/toshisuke-kanazawa-90-bodybuilder-spain-2026/ (The Sports Encounter, 31 October 2026)
- https://becoming.is/a-90-year-old-bodybuilder-took-the-stage-in-spain-against-men-decades-younger-and-hes-thinking-about-93/ (becoming.is, 31 October 2026)
