World’s oldest person dies
Tomiko Itooka, the world’s oldest person, has died at 116. The title now passes to Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian nun just 16 days younger than Itooka.
Itooka, born on May 23, 1908 in Osaka, Japan, lived through two world wars and witnessed more than a century of history. An avid high school volleyball player in her youth, she later managed her husband’s textile business during World War II. After being widowed in 1979, she embraced independence in Nara Prefecture and took up hiking, even climbing Mount Ontake twice.
Itooka was officially recognized as the world’s oldest living person in August 2024 by Guinness World Records, following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group. When she was told she was at the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings List, she simply replied, “Thank you.”
Itooka attributed her remarkable longevity to a diet rich in bananas and Calpis, a popular Japanese yogurt-flavored drink.
She is survived by her son, daughter, and five grandchildren.
She passed away peacefully on December 29, 2024, at a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Local officials confirmed her death.
