The world’s oldest person, Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, passed away at the age of 116, the city of Ashiya announced on Saturday.
Itooka, who had four children and five grandchildren, died on December 29 at a nursing home where she had been living since 2019, according to the mayor of the southern city.
Born on May 23, 1908, in Osaka, near Ashiya, Itooka was born four months before the Ford Model T automobile was launched in the United States.
She was recognized as the oldest person in the world after the death of Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera in August 2024, who passed away at the age of 117.
“Ms. Itooka gave us courage and hope through her long life,” said Ashiya’s 27-year-old mayor, Ryosuke Takashima, in a statement. “We thank her for it.”
Itooka, one of three siblings, lived through world wars, pandemics, and numerous technological advances.
As a student, she played volleyball. In her later years, she enjoyed bananas and Calpis, a popular milky soft drink in Japan, according to the mayor’s statement.
While women in Japan typically live longer, the country is grappling with a growing demographic crisis. The elderly population is expanding, leading to rising medical and welfare costs, while the workforce shrinks.
As of September, Japan had more than 95,000 people aged 100 or older, 88 percent of whom were women.
With nearly a third of the country’s 124 million people aged 65 or older, Japan is facing significant demographic challenges.
Following Itooka’s death, the title of the world’s oldest person is now held by 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, born on June 8, 1908, according to the US Gerontological Research Group and LongeviQuest.
