Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the oldest person in the world according to Guinness World Records, died at 116 years oldan Ashiya city official reported on Saturday.
Yoshitsugu Nagata, senior policy official, said Itooka died on December 29 at a residence in Ashiya, Hyogo prefecture, central Japan.
Itooka, who loved bananas and a Japanese yogurt-flavored drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. Last year he became the oldest person after the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontological Research Group.
When they told him that he topped the World List of Supercentenarians, he simply replied: “Thank you.”
When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.
Born in Osaka, Itooka was a high school volleyball player and long had a reputation for having a lively spirit, Nagata said. He climbed Mount Ontake, 3,067 meters high, twice.
She married at age 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 his death in 1979.
He is survived by a son, a daughter and five grandchildren. According to Nagata, a funeral was held with family and friends.
According to the Gerontological Research Group, The oldest person in the world is the Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, 116 years old, who was born 16 days after Itooka.
Source: Ambito
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