The oldest person in the world dies at 116

Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman who was the oldest person in the world, according to Guinness World Recordshas died, an Ashiya city official said Saturday. He was 116 years old.

Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official in charge of senior policy, said Itooka died Dec. 29 at a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Central Japan.

Itooka, who loved bananas and a Japanese yogurt-flavored drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. He became the oldest person last year after the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

Tomiko Itooka celebrates her 116th birthday at the nursing home where she lives in Ashiya, Japan, on May 23, 2024. (Ashiya City via AP)

THE OLDEST MAN IN THE WORLD, DEAD AT AGE 112, ATE THIS FOOD EVERY FRIDAY

When she was told she was at the top of the global supercentenarian ranking list, she simply responded, “Thank you.”

When Itooka celebrated her birthday last year, she received flowers, a cake and a card from the mayor.

Born in Osaka, Itooka was a high school volleyball player and long had a reputation for having a cheerful spirit, Nagata said. He climbed the 3,067-meter (10,062-foot) Mount Ontake twice.

Tomiko Itooka celebrates her 116th birthday at the nursing home where she lives in Ashiya, Japan, on May 23, 2024. (Ashiya City via AP)

THE OLDEST PERSON IN THE USA, ELIZABETH FRANCIS, DIES AT AGE 115 IN HOUSTON

She married at age 20 and had two daughters and two sons, according to Guinness.

Itooka managed the office of her husband’s textile factory during World War II. She lived alone in Nara after her husband’s death in 1979.

He is survived by a son, a daughter and five grandchildren. According to Nagata, a funeral was held with family and friends.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to the Gerontology Research Group, the oldest person in the world is now the Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, 116 years old, who was born 16 days after Itooka.