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World’s oldest woman Tomiko Itooka dies at 116, Guinness World Records announces

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World’s oldest woman Tomiko Itooka dies at 116, Guinness World Records announces

A woman that Guinness World Records previously named as the world’s oldest person has died, the organization announced Saturday.

The world’s oldest person, Tomiko Itooka of Japan, died the night of Dec. 29. She died from natural causes and lived to be 116 years and 220 days old.

She died at a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture in Japan, Guinness said in a news release, citing LongeviQuest, an organization that manages a database on the world’s oldest people.

Tomiko was named the oldest living woman and oldest living person in August 2024 after the previous titleholder, 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera, died. 

LongeviQuest representatives visited her on her 116th birthday, then again in August 2024 to present her the World’s Oldest Person trophy. Guinness representatives also visited her in September to present her with an official certificate.

Who was Tomiko Itooka, the late record-setter?

Tomiko was born in Osaka on May 23, 1908. She was the second of three children and the family’s oldest daughter, Guinness and LongeviQuest reported. She went to an all-girls high school.

She got married at 20 years old and had two daughters and two sons, Guinness said. She was 32 years old when Japan joined World War II and during that time, she managed the office at her husband’s textile factory while taking care of the couple’s children.

Tomiko’s family thinks her long lifespan was due in part to how active she was. According to Guinness, after Tomiko’s husband died in 1979, she spent her time hiking and climbing. One of her favorite pastimes was climbing Mount Nijo. She also climbed Mount Ontake, which is over 1,000 feet high.

Tomiko practiced Buddhism and in her eighties, completed the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, traveling to 33 temples in the Kansai region. Once she reached 100 years old, she was able to climb the stone steps of Ashiya Shrine, no walking stick needed, Guinness reported.

Other facts Guinness World Records and Gerontology Research Group have released about Tomiko over the years include:

  • She really liked bananas
  • She started each morning with a milky drink
  • She was a volleyball player in high school
  • She lived alone for a decade

Setting records later in life

And it wasn’t just Guinness that recognized Tomiko for her long life. In September of 2020, she was named the third-oldest living person in Hyogo Prefecture. 

She became the oldest living person in the prefecture on April 30, 2022, and the next year, she became the oldest living person in Japan.

Tomiko’s age was validated by a Los-Angeles based nonprofit called the Gerontology Research Group, GRG. In May 2018, she was named a supercentenarian, or someone who has reached 110 years old, according to GRG. 

Tomiko’s passing has left Brazil’s Inah Canabarro Lucas, aged 116, as the world’s oldest living person, LongeviQuest confirmed on its website. Tomiko has also passed the title of Japan’s oldest living to Okagi Hayashi.

Tomiko is survived by a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Guinness said.

“LongeviQuest sends our deepest condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Tomiko Itooka,” the agency wrote.

Contributing: Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY’s NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at @SaleenMartin or email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

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