A Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person has died aged 116.
Tomiko Itooka died on December 29 at a care home in Ashiya, central Japan, an official in charge of elderly policies, Yoshitsugu Nagata, announced.
Itooka, who became the Guinness World Record holder for oldest living person last year following the death of 117-year-old Spanish-American woman Maria Branyas, was born on May 23, 1908 in Osaka.
When told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, Ms Itooka replied: ‘Thank you.’
She was a volleyball player in secondary school, and long had a reputation for a sprightly spirit, Nagata said. She climbed the 10,062-foot Mount Ontake twice.
She married at 20, and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.
Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.
She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.
According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.
Her death comes just two months after the world’s oldest man died aged 112.
A Japanese woman who was the world’s oldest person has died aged 116
This photo provided by Ashiya City shows Tomiko Itooka being celebrated for her 116th birthday at the nursing home she lived in Ashiya, western Japan, on May 23, 2024
According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka
Briton John Alfred Tinniswood, who lived through both world wars, died at the Hollies Rest Home in Southport, Merseyside, on November 25, 2024, ‘surrounded by music and love’, his relatives announced.
The Englishman became the Guinness World Record holder for oldest living man in April, following the death of 114-year-old Venezuelan Juan Vicente Pérez.
After he received his Guinness World Record earlier this year, Mr Tinniswood revealed his secret for his extraordinary longevity.
He never smoked, rarely drank and did not follow any special diet, apart from a fish and chip supper once a week.
‘If you drink too much or you eat too much or you walk too much – if you do too much of anything – you´re going to suffer eventually,’ Mr Tinniswood told Guinness World Records.
But ultimately, he said, ‘it’s pure luck. You either live long or you live short, and you can’t do much about it.’
The certified oldest person ever was French woman Jeanne Calment, who died aged 122 and 164 days in 1997.