116-year-old Tomiko Itooka of Japan becomes the new world’s oldest living person
The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) is pleased to announce that Mrs. Tomiko Itooka of Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, recognized by Guinness World Records as the new World’s Oldest Living Person, following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera of Spain on 19 August 2024.
Tomiko Itooka was born in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan on 23 May 1908 as the second of three siblings. Her early life was marked by significant milestones: After her elementary school graduation, she attended a girls’ school, now known as Osaka Jogakuin Junior and Senior High School, where she was part of the volleyball club. Around the age of 20, she married and gave birth to her eldest daughter when she was 21. She eventually had two daughters and two sons. During the wartime, she stepped in for her husband, who operated a textile factory in South Korea. She single-handedly managed a Japanese office and raised her children during this period.
In her later years, her life continued to be filled with remarkable achievements and adventures: After her husband’s passing in 1979, she lived alone in her husband’s hometown in Nara Prefecture for approximately a decade. During this time, she frequently enjoyed mountain climbing, including Mt. Nijo, which spans Nara and Osaka prefectures, and even climbed Mt. Ontake (elevation 3,000m) twice. Notably, she surprised her guide by ascending the mountain in ordinary sneakers instead of hiking boots. In her 80s, she twice participated in the Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage (a pilgrimage to 33 temples). At 100 years of age, she climbed the lengthy stone steps of Ashiya Shrine without a cane and offered her worship. She made multiple visits to Yakushiji Temple in Nara Prefecture and had a fondness for writing sutras.
In May 2018, she celebrated her 110th birthday, officially becoming a supercentenarian. On 30 April 2022, following the death of a 115-year-old anonymous woman, Itooka became the oldest living person in Hyogo Prefecture. On 6 February 2023, following the death of 114-year-old Yasue Okai, Itooka became the last known surviving Japanese person born in 1908. On 23 May 2023, Itooka celebrated her 115th birthday, and two days later became the oldest person ever from Hyogo Prefecture.
On 12 December 2023, following the death of 116-year-old Fusa Tatsumi, Itooka became the oldest validated living person in Japan and Asia. On 22 February 2024, following the death of 116-year-old Edie Ceccarelli of the USA, Itooka became the second-oldest validated living person in the world. On 19 August 2024, following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera of Spain, Itooka became the oldest validated living person in the world.
