Tomiko Itooka, born Tomiko Yano on 23 May 1908 in Osaka, Japan, was recognized as the world’s oldest verified living person in September 2024. She lived to the age of 116 years and 220 days, passing away on 29 December 2024 at a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture. Her life reflected resilience, adaptability, and quiet strength through decades of Japanese history and personal achievement.
Raised in a family that ran a clothing store, Itooka was one of three children. She spent her formative years in prewar Japan, a period marked by both modernization and increasing imperial ambition. During her high school years, she played volleyball—an early sign of the active lifestyle she would maintain well into old age.
She married Kenji Itooka, who owned a textile company. During World War II, with her husband working in Korea under Japanese rule, Tomiko assumed control of the family business. While raising their children alone, she kept the enterprise running—a feat of endurance that underscored her leadership and commitment. After the war, she continued to support and help manage the company.
Itooka had four children and became a widow in 1979. She later moved to Ashiya, where she embraced active aging with notable vitality. In her 70s, she climbed Mount Nijō and twice summited Mount Ontake. At 100, she was able to climb the steps of Ashiya Shrine unaided. She also completed the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a circuit of 33 temples, which highlighted her spiritual and physical devotion.
She credited her longevity to a simple diet that included bananas and Calpis, a popular Japanese dairy-based drink. Even at age 116, she could move independently, though she primarily used a wheelchair.
In September 2024, following the death of Maria Branyas, Itooka was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest living person. Her death on 29 December 2024 was attributed to natural complications of aging. With her passing, Inah Canabarro Lucas of Brazil, also 116, became the world’s oldest living person and the final surviving individual born in 1908.
Tomiko Itooka’s life stood as a testament to the power of endurance, tradition, and optimism in the face of a rapidly changing world.
