TOKYO — According to a city official in Ashiya, Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who held the title of the world’s oldest person as recognized by Guinness World Records, passed away at the age of 116.
Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of elderly policies, said Itooka died on Dec. 29 at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan.
Born on May 23, 1908, Itooka had a fondness for bananas and a Japanese yogurt-flavored drink known as Calpis. She attained the title of the oldest person in the world last year after the passing of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, as reported by the Gerontology Research Group.
When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”
When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.
Originally from Osaka, Itooka was an avid volleyball player during her high school years and was well-known for her lively and energetic personality, Nagata confirmed. She even conquered the 3,067-meter (10,062-foot) Mount Ontake on two separate occasions.
She married at 20, and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.
Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband died in 1979.
She is survived by one son and one daughter, and five grandchildren. A funeral service was held with family and friends, according to Nagata.
According to the Gerontology Research Group, the world’s oldest person is now 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, who was born 16 days after Itooka.
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