The dean of humanity, Tomiko Itooka, died on December 29. The old lady, originally from Japan, was 116 years old.
- Tomiko Itooka, the world’s oldest, died on December 29.
- She turned 116 last May.
- Those close to her describe a dynamic woman, full of enthusiasm and a follower of a balanced diet.
She was the oldest woman in the world. Tomiko Itooka died on Sunday December 29 at the age of 116. The Japanese woman died in the retirement home where she lived, in Ashiya, in the center of the country.
Sad news today that the world’s oldest person Tomiko Itooka has died at the age of 116. Our thoughts are with her family.https://t.co/2UNvdrGFse
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) January 4, 2025
Japan: a centenarian who became dean of humanity last August
Guinness World Records declared her the dean of humanity last August, after the death of the Spaniard Maria Branyas Morera, at 117 years old. When this appointment was announced, the Japanese centenarian responded simply: “THANKS”. Born in Osaka on May 23, 1908, she had celebrated her 116th birthday in her retirement home a few months earlier.
What was the life of Tomiko Itooka, world doyenne?
According to Yoshitsugu Nagata, responsible for public policies related to the elderly, cited by Associated PressTomiko Itooka was a spirited woman. When she was younger, she played volleyball, then twice climbed Mount Ontake, a volcano peaking at more than 3,000 meters above sea level. She married at the age of 20 and gave birth to four children: two boys and two girls. During the Second World War, she managed administration in her husband’s textile company. In 1979, he died, and Tomiko Itooka then lived alone in Nara, until she moved into a retirement home at the age of 110. His funeral was celebrated with his loved ones, family and friends. Two of his children are still alive, as are five grandchildren.
What were the secrets of longevity of the oldest woman in the world?
According to RFIthe longevity of the Japanese woman would be linked to different elements: her active life until her last days, her integration into the community, her functional mind and her diet. Tomiko Itooka consumed a lot of fish, rice, soya, bananas, but she was also fond of Calpis, a Japanese drink made from lactic ferments.
Japan, a country known for its long life expectancy
In the land of the rising sun, living to old age is very common. The country has a life expectancy at birth of 84 years, and has many centenarians. Every year, around 4,000 Japanese people turn 100 years old. But the longevity record is now Brazilian: the new world oldest is a Brazilian nun, Inah Canabarro Lucas, also 116 years old.
