Misao Okawa
大川 ミサヲ
PronunciationŌkawa Misao
BornMarch 5, 1898
DiedApril 1, 2015 (aged 117)
Osaka, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Known forOldest living person
SpouseYukio Osaka 1919–1931
Children3

Misao Okawa (Ōkawa Misao (大川 ミサヲ) March 5, 1898 – April 1, 2015) was a Japanese supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person following the death of 116-year-old Jiroemon Kimura on June 12, 2013.[1]

Biography

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Okawa was born on March 5, 1898 during the Meiji period[2] in a kimono shop in the Tenma district of Osaka. The kimono shop was her parents, who were garment makers.[3] She married her husband Yukio in 1919, and had three children, one of whom she outlived. She moved to Kobe with her husband where he ran a business, and moved back to Osaka in 1931[4] after the death of her husband in June,[5] never remarrying.[6]

In her final years, she lived in a nursing home in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka.[7] She was declared the oldest living woman on February 27, 2013 by Guinness World Records when she was 114 years and 359 days old.[8] She died on April 1, 2015[9] of natural causes[10] or heart failure,[11] outliving one of her children.[6] Two of her children, one of her sons and her daughter, were both alive in their 90s as of March 2014.[5]

Lifestyle

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Okawa was an advocate for getting good sleep, as she herself slept at least 8 hours a night. Additionally, she was fond of mackarel sushi[12] and ramen[13] and "other delicious things."[14] When asked about her life, she stated: "It seemed rather short."[15] When she was 114, she reportedly was able to push herself around in a wheelchair and had never had a major illness before.[16] In the weeks preceding her death, she was considered to be in relatively good health other than hearing issues.[17] She was talkative on the day of her death and passed away in her sleep.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Matsuyama, Kanoko; Langeland, Terje (September 18, 2013). "Jiroemon Kimura, Oldest Man in Recorded History, Dies at 116 - Businessweek". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "世界最高齢の日本女性、116歳の誕生日". ハフポスト. March 5, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  3. ^ "大川ミサヲさんが死去 世界最高齢、117歳". The Nikkei (in Japanese). April 1, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "World's oldest person Misao Okawa dies in Japan". BBC News. April 1, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Ryall, Julian (March 2, 2014). "World's oldest person celebrates her 116th birthday: 'Eat and sleep and you will live a long time'". The Telegraph. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Walker, Jade (April 1, 2015). "Misao Okawa, World's Oldest Person, Dead At 117". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  7. ^ 佐藤達弥 (March 23, 2013). "大阪の114歳、女性世界最高齢か ギネス認定へ審査中". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 7, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  8. ^ "Japan's Misao Okawa Confirmed as Oldest Living Woman, Aged 114 Years, 359 Days". Guinness World Records. February 27, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "国内最高齢者 ご逝去について |報道発表資料|厚生労働省". Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Sekiguchi, Toko (April 1, 2015). "World's Oldest Person, Misao Okawa, Dies in Osaka - WSJ". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  11. ^ Selby, Jenn (April 2, 2015). "World's oldest person revealed the secret to her long life before she passed away". The Independent. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  12. ^ Ethier, Beth (April 1, 2015). "How to Have the Best Day Ever: Live Like the Oldest People on Earth". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Chappell, Bill (April 1, 2015). "World's Oldest Person Dies At Age 117". NPR. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  14. ^ Lewis, Tanya (April 1, 2015). "World's Oldest Woman Revealed Her Secret to Long Life". Live Science. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  15. ^ McCurry, Justin (March 5, 2015). "Life seems short, says world's oldest person at 117". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  16. ^ Fujita, Akiko (February 27, 2013). "Woman, 114, Enters Guinness Book of Records". ABC News. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  17. ^ Westcott, Lucy (March 5, 2015). "World's Oldest Person Turns 117 in Japan". Newsweek. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
  18. ^ 産経新聞 (April 1, 2015). "「長いことよう頑張ったなあ」世界最高齢の大川さん 孫らに見守られ、眠るように息引き取る". Sankei Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved September 1, 2024.


Category:1898 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Japanese supercentenarians Category:People from Osaka