TOKYO, Apr 26 (NNN-NHK) – The world’s oldest person died at the age of 119, in the city of Fukuoka in south-western Japan on Apr 19, the local government said yesterday.
Born on Jan 2, 1903, Kane Tanaka lived in several Japanese imperial eras – Meiji, Taisho, Showa, Heisei and Reiwa.
At the age of 116, she was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest person in the world, in Mar, 2019, and then became the oldest person ever on record in Japan, after turning 117 years, 261 days old, in Sept, 2020.
Tanaka was the seventh of nine siblings and married when she was 19. She used to make a living by running a noodle shop and then switched to a rice cake store.
Tanaka ascribed her longevity to “eating delicious food and learning.” Her favourite treats included soda and chocolate.
She spent her later years in a nursing home in Fukuoka, where she enjoyed playing the board game Reversi, among other activities.
Japan’s oldest person is now Fusa Tatsumi, a 115-year-old woman living in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.– NNN-NHK
