The world's oldest woman has just died at the age of 116.

Tomiko Itooka, the world's oldest woman, has just passed away in Japan at the age of 116 after living in a nursing home since 2019.

Ms. Itooka celebrated her 116th birthday on May 23, 2024.

Kyodo news agency on January 4 quoted information from the Ashiya city government (Hyogo province, Japan) saying that the world's oldest woman, Ms. Tomiko Itooka, had just passed away at the age of 116.

Itooka, who has four children and five grandchildren, died on December 29, 2024, at a nursing home in Ashiya, where she had lived since 2019.

Born on May 23, 1908 in Osaka near Ashiya, Ms. Itooka was recognized as the world's oldest living woman after Ms. Maria Branyas Morera of Spain passed away in August 2024 at the age of 117.

"Ms. Itooka has given us courage and hope throughout her long life. We thank her for that," said Mayor Ryosuke Takashima, 27, of Ashiya city, according to AFP.

One of three siblings, Ms. Itooka lived through world wars and pandemics as well as technological breakthroughs. As a student, she played volleyball.

In his old age, Itooka enjoyed bananas and Calpis, a popular milk beverage in Japan, according to Mayor Takashima.

Women typically live longer in Japan, but the country is facing a deepening demographic crisis as its growing elderly population leads to soaring health and welfare costs, while the workforce to pay for them shrinks.

As of September, Japan had more than 95,000 people aged 100 or older, 88% of whom were women. Of Japan's 124 million people, nearly a third are 65 or older.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/cu-ba-cao-tuoi-nhat-the-gioi-vua-qua-doi-o-tuoi-116-185250104180032968.htm