A Japanese widow, Tomiko Itooka, has been named the new world’s oldest person at the age of 116.
Tomiko, who has a passion for bananas and mountain climbing, has succeeded Spanish pensioner Maria Branyas Morera, who recently passed away at 117.
Tomiko, who lives in a nursing home in Ashiya, Japan, has spent decades climbing mountains, including the famous Mount Ontake, which stands over 10,000 feet tall.
Remarkably, she even scaled the challenging Ashiya Shrine without a walking stick after she turned 100. Her family believes her active lifestyle is the secret to her long life.
Tomiko was born on May 23, 1908, in Osaka, Japan. She was a volleyball player in high school and married at the age of 20.
Together with her husband, she had two daughters and two sons. During World War II, Tomiko managed the office of her husband’s textile factory while also taking care of their four children at home. After her husband passed away in 1979, she lived alone in Nara before moving into the nursing home.
When told that she had become the oldest person in the world, Tomiko simply replied, “Thank you,” a phrase she often says to the caretakers at her nursing home.
She celebrated her 116th birthday three months ago with flowers, a cake, and a card from the mayor. Every morning, she enjoys a popular yogurt-flavored drink called Calpis.
Tomiko’s title as the world’s oldest person was passed on from Maria Branyas Morera, who lived in a nursing home in Spain and had celebrated her 117th birthday in March.
Before she passed away, Maria sent a final message to her social media followers, saying, “The time is near. Don’t cry, I don’t like tears. And above all, don’t suffer for me. Wherever I go, I will be happy.”
The record for the oldest person ever belongs to Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived to be 122 years and 164 days old.
