The world's oldest woman has passed away at the age of 116.

Tomiko Itooka, the world's oldest woman, has 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.

According to Kyodo News on January 4th, citing information from the Ashiya city government (Hyogo Prefecture, Japan), the world's oldest woman, Tomiko Itooka, has passed away at the age of 116.

Mrs. Itooka had four children and five grandchildren. She passed away 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, Itooka was recognized as the world's oldest living woman after the death of Maria Branyas Morera of Spain 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," AFP quoted Mayor Ryosuke Takashima (27) of Ashiya city as saying.

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

In his old age, Itooka enjoys bananas and Calpis, a popular milk-based soft drink in Japan, according to the mayor of Takashima.

Women generally have a long life expectancy in Japan, but the country is facing an increasingly severe demographic crisis as a growing elderly population leads to soaring healthcare and welfare costs, while the workforce that can pay for these costs is shrinking.

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

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