Tokyo, Jan 19 (IANS): Yasutaro Koide, the world's oldest man at 112 years of age, died on Tuesday 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 as the world's oldest man in August 2015 by the Guinness World Records, Xinhua reported.

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 innerwear.

"Not pushing oneself and being happy about everything" was Koide's secret to living a long life, he told reporters after being awarded 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 also 112 years old.

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