EFE.- Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old Japanese woman recognized as the oldest person in the world, died of natural causes, the city council of the city of Ashiya, in western Japan, where she lived, reported this Saturday.
Itooka, born on May 23, 1908 in the city of Osaka (west), died on December 29 at the Ashiya nursing home where she resided.
The woman, who was the eldest of three siblings, became the oldest living person in Japan in December 2023 after the death of Fusa Tatsumi, another 116-year-old Japanese woman who lived in Kashiwara, also on the western slope of the archipelago.
She was later recognized as the oldest living person in the world by the Guinness Book of Records in September 2024, after the death of the woman who had held that status, the Spanish Maria Branyas Morera, who died at the age of 117 in Olot, province of Gerona.
According to municipal authorities, Itooka had lived in Ashiya for about 30 years.
The mayor of the town, Ryosuke Takashima, published a statement collected by the Japanese radio and television station NHK in which he offers his condolences to her family and thanks the woman for choosing the town to spend the last years of her life.
“Mrs. Itooka gave us much courage and hope throughout her long life,” the text explains.
Follow us on Google News to always stay informed
Get inspired, discover and share. Follow us and find what you are looking for on our Instagram!
