### Tomiko Itooka, Japan's Oldest Person, Passes at 116

### Tomiko Itooka, believed to be the world's oldest person, has died at the age of 116 in Japan, after a long life marked by significant historical experiences and personal achievements.

 

Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman born prior to World War I and the Titanic disaster, has passed away in a nursing home in Ashiya, Japan. She was 116 years old. The mayor of Ashiya, Ryosuke Takashima, announced her death, stating she died peacefully due to age-related complications, although no exact cause was given.

Her passing marks the end of an extraordinary life recognized last September by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person following the death of Spain's Maria Branyas Morera, who was 117. Ms. Itooka, originally Tomiko Yano, entered this world on May 23, 1908, in Osaka, Japan, where she grew up in a family that ran a clothing store. At this time, Japan was establishing itself as a significant imperial power, having recently defeated czarist Russia and pursuing expansionism in Asia.

In the same year of her birth, Japan orchestrated a diplomatic agreement with the United States, which, among other things, recognized Japan's annexation of Korea. Over her lifetime, Ms. Itooka witnessed her nation transform — from an imperial power to one that faced defeat in 1945, only to emerge later as a thriving industrial democracy.

As a youth, Ms. Itooka was active in sports like volleyball before marrying Kenji Itooka, whose textile company she would later help manage. While he served in Korea during World War II, she remained in Japan, single-handedly running their business and raising four children, demonstrating exceptional resilience and strength.

Following her husband's death in 1979 after over five decades of marriage, Ms. Itooka moved to Ashiya and maintained her passion for hiking well into her 80s, reportedly climbing the local Shinto shrine’s stone steps without assistance at the age of 100. When asked about her longevity, she humorously attributed her long life to eating bananas and enjoying Calpis, a traditional Japanese dairy drink.

Ms. Itooka leaves behind one daughter, one son, and several grandchildren, as a symbol of strength, adaptability, and inspiration to many, having lived through an extraordinary period in Japanese and global history.