Kane Tanaka, World’s Oldest Person, Dies Aged 119 Years in Japan | 5 Amazing Things to Know About Her

Tanaka was said to be in relatively good health until recently and was living at a nursing home, where she enjoyed board games, solving maths problems, soda and chocolate.

Tokyo/New Delhi: A Japanese woman, known to be the world’s oldest person, died at the age of 119, reported news platforms quoting local officials on Monday. Kane Tanaka was reportedly born on January 2, 1903, in the southwestern Fukuoka region of Japan. She became the oldest living person in January 2019 at the age of 116 years and 28 days. She is also the second oldest person ever recorded, behind only Jeanne Calment who lived to the age of 122.

Tanaka was said to be in relatively good health until recently and was living at a nursing home, where she enjoyed board games, solving Maths problems, soda and chocolate. Her daily routine included waking up at 6 am, and afternoons spent studying mathematics and practising calligraphy.

5 amazing things to know about Kane Tanaka:

1. When she was young, Tanaka ran various businesses including a noodle shop and a rice cake store.
2. She married Hideo Tanaka in 1922, gave birth to four children and adopted a fifth.
3. Tanaka had planned to use a wheelchair to take part in the torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but the pandemic prevented her from doing so.
4. When the Guinness World Records recognised her as the oldest person alive in 2019, she was asked what moment she was the happiest  in life. She answered: “Now.”
5. “One of Kane’s favourite pastimes is a game of Othello and she’s become an expert at the classic board game, often beating rest-home staff,” Guinness said.

Local governor expresses grief

Local governor Seitaro Hattori hailed Tanaka’s life after she passed away on April 19. “I was looking forward to seeing Kane-san on this year’s Respect for the Aged Day (a national holiday in September) and celebrating together with her favorite soda and chocolate,” he said in a statement on Monday. “I am extremely saddened by the news,” he said.

Japan’s rapidly ageing population

Japan has the world’s most elderly population, according to World Bank data, with around 28 per cent aged 65 or over. The oldest-ever living person verified by Guinness was a Frenchwoman Jeanne Louise Calment, who died aged 122 years and 164 days in 1997.

(With inputs from AFP)