Japan’s Tomiko Itooka, world’s oldest person, dies at 116

Tokyo: Tomiko Itooka, recognized as the world's oldest person, has passed away at the age of 116, according to Japanese media reports on Saturday. Itooka, who died earlier this week at a nursing home in Ashiya, located in western Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, succumbed to old age.

Born on May 23, 1908, in Osaka as the eldest of three siblings, Itooka had been living at the special nursing home where she enjoyed drinking her favorite lactic acid beverages and often expressed her gratitude to the staff. "She often said thank you to the staff," reported Japanese daily The Mainichi on Saturday.

Ashiya Mayor Ryosuke Takashima shared his condolences, stating, "Through her long life, she gave us great courage and hope. I express my deepest condolences."

Itooka had become Japan’s oldest living person in December 2023 following the death of Fusa Tatsumi, another 116-year-old, in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture. Tatsumi, born on April 25, 1907, had spent her final days bedridden in a nursing home in Kashiwara. Tatsumi had taken the title of Japan’s oldest living person in April 2022, following the death of a 119-year-old woman in Fukuoka.

In September 2024, Itooka was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest living person, succeeding Maria Branyas Morera, a 117-year-old from Olot, Catalonia, Spain, who passed away earlier.

Japan has long been known for its high life expectancy, which peaked in 2020 at 87.71 years for women and 81.56 years for men. While life expectancy had declined in 2021 and 2022 due to increased deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic, the trend reversed in 2023. According to government data released in July 2024, the average life expectancy in Japan rose for the first time in three years, with women reaching 87.14 years and men 81.09 years.

With IANS inputs