World
Japanese woman, 116, set to take title of oldest person the world
A 116-year-old Japanese woman is now the oldest living person in the world, the Guinness World Records declared Wednesday.
Tomiko Itooka’s title comes after Maria Branyas Morera died this week at 117.
Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, has been living at a nursing facility in Ashiya, a city in Hyōgo, Prefecture, Japan, for about five years. Before her stint at the home, she resided with two of her children.
The Gerontology Research Group, a non-profit that researches human longevity, validated Itooka’s age. Although hard of hearing, she is touted for having great communication skills. She reached the milestone of age 110 in May 2018, making her a “supercentenarian.”
World’s oldest people: World’s oldest person, a woman born in California, dies ‘happy’ at 117
Where was Itooka raised?
According to the Guinness World Records, Itooka was raised alongside her siblings in Osaka, where she attended elementary and high school. By age 20, she married her husband, and the couple had four children together.
For work, she served as a manager in the office of her husband’s textile factory in South Korea during World War II. He died in 1979.
What are her accomplishments?
Itooka participated in adventurous activities during her 70’s and 80’s, which she attributes as the key to her longevity.
She has climbed Mount Nijo twice in sneakers and completed the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, the country’s oldest pilgrimage route with 33 temples, which is more than 1,000 kilometers long.
When she was 100, she walked the steps at the Ashiya Shrine without assistance of “a walking stick,” the Guinness World Records said.
Other fun facts about Itooka
Per the Guinness World Records and Gerontology Research Group, here are some facts about Itooka:
- She loves bananas
- She has a milky drink every morning
- She was a volleyball player in high school
- She has two daughters and two sons
- She is a grandmother and great-grandmother
- She resided alone for a decade
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.
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