Tomiko Itooka, the Japanese woman considered to be the world’s oldest person, has died at the age of 116, local authorities have announced.
Tomiko Itooka, who had four children and five grandchildren, passed away on 29 December 2024 in the nursing home where she had lived since 2019, according to a statement from the mayor of Asiya - the city where she lived in, in southern Japan.
Born on 23 May 1908 in Osaka, near Ashiya, she was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person in September last year, following the death of Spain’s María Branyas Morera, who lived to 117.
“Mrs. Itooka inspired us with courage and hope throughout her long life,” commented Ashiya’s mayor Ryosuke Takashima. “We thank her for that,” the 27-year-old mayor said.
From a family of three children, Itooka was a volleyball player in her youth and lived through wars, pandemics, and technological revolutions.
In her later years, she had a fondness for bananas and Calpis, a popular lactic acid drink in Japan, the mayor said.
The Gerontology Research Group, which tracks the world’s oldest people, confirmed Itooka’s death at 116 years and 220 days.
The new oldest living person is now Brazilian Inah Canabarro Lucas, born on 8 June 1908, making her 115 years old.
