World’s oldest person Tomiko Itooka dies at 116 in Japan

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, January, 4, 2025: Tomiko Itooka, the world’s oldest person and a resident of Ashiya, Japan, has passed away at the age of 116, the city announced on Saturday, January 4. In a statement, Ashiya mayor said Tomiko Itooka had four children and five grandchildren and she died on December 29 at a nursing home where she was staying since 2019.

She was born on May 23, 1908 in the commercial hub of Osaka, near Ashiya -- four months before the Ford Model T was launched in the United States.

Itooka was recognised as the oldest person in the world after Spain’s Maria Branyas Morera died in August 2024 at the 117. "Ms Itooka gave us courage and hope through her long life," Ashiya’s 27-year-old mayor Ryosuke Takashima said in the statement.

“We thank her for it,” the mayor said.

Tomiko Itooka, one of three siblings, witnessed world wars, pandemics, and remarkable technological advancements during her lifetime. As a student, she also enjoyed playing football.

In her older age, Tomiko Itooka enjoyed bananas and Calpis, a milky soft drink popular in Japan, according to the mayor’s statement.

Women typically enjoy longevity in Japan, but the country is facing a worsening demographic crisis as its expanding elderly population leads to soaring medical and welfare costs, with a shrinking labour force to pay for it.

As of September, Japan reported over 95,000 centenarians, with women accounting for 88 percent of them. Of the country’s 124 million people, nearly a third are 65 or older.