Turning 100 just isn’t what it used to be.
Since 1963, Japan has been gifting a silver sakazuki (sake dish) worth ¥8,000 ($65) to any citizen who reaches 100 years old.
But with 29,357 new centenarians in 2014 — there were just 153 when the program began — the gifts have become a budgetary strain, according to The Japan Times.
Japanese officials reported that the program cost the government ¥260 million ($2.1 million) in 2014 and estimate at least 39,000 more 100th-birthday celebrations for 2018.
The government currently is looking into a less expensive option, like using a cheaper material for the sakazuki or just giving centenarians a congratulatory letter, The Japan Times said.
With 86.83 years being the average longevity for women, and 80.50 for men, Japan’s population has one of the world’s longest life expectancies.