A 116-year-old Japanese woman is now the oldest living person in the world, the Guinness Book of Records announced on Wednesday.
Tomiko Itooka’s title comes after Maria Branyas Morera died this week at the age of 117.
Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, has been living in a nursing home in Ashiya, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, for about five years. Before her stay in the nursing home, she lived there with two of her children.
The Gerontology Research Group, a nonprofit organization that studies human life expectancy, confirmed Itooka’s age. Although she is hard of hearing, she is said to have great communication skills. In May 2018, she reached the milestone of 110 years, making her a “supercentenarian.”
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Where did Itooka grow up?
According to Guinness World Records, Itooka grew up with her siblings in Osaka, where she attended elementary school and high school. She married her husband at the age of 20 and the couple had four children together.
During World War II, she worked as a manager in the office of her husband’s textile factory in South Korea. He died in 1979.
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Itooka participated in adventurous activities in her 70s and 80s, which she credits as the key to her longevity.
She has climbed Mount Nijō twice in sneakers and completed the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage, the country’s oldest pilgrimage route with 33 temples and a length of over 1,000 kilometers.
At the age of 100, she climbed the steps of the Ashiya Shrine without the aid of a “walking stick,” according to the Guinness Book of Records.
More interesting facts about Itooka
According to Guinness World Records and Gerontology Research Group, here are some facts about Itooka:
- She loves bananas
- She drinks milk 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 lived alone for a decade
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected].
