World's Oldest Person, Tomiko Itooka, Dies at 116 in Japan

Jan 4, 2025, 10:43 AM

Tomiko Itooka, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person in September, died of natural causes at the age of 116 in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Born on May 23, 1908, in Osaka, she became the world's oldest person after the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera from Spain in August 2024. Itooka passed away on December 29 at a nursing home where she had resided since 2019. She was a mother of four children and had five grandchildren. During World War II, she managed her husband's textile factory. Known for her cheerful personality, she enjoyed bananas and Calpis and lived independently until the age of 110. The mayor of Ashiya City expressed condolences upon her passing.