World's Oldest Man Dies At 116 Years Old

Oldest Man Tomiko Itooka (Instagram/@thenamibian)

JAKARTA - Tomiko Itooka, the Japanese woman who was recognized as the oldest human in the world by Guinness World Records, died at the age of 116. He died on Sunday, December 29, 2024.

According to local officials, he breathed his last at a nursing home in the city of Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture. Tomiko became the oldest person in the world after Maria Branyas Morera of Spain died in August 2024 at the age of 117.

"Ny. Itooka gave us courage and hope through his long life. We are grateful for everything," Ashiya Mayor Ryosuke Takashi (27) said in a statement, quoted by VOI from the BBC website on Monday, January 6.

Tomiko Itooka was born in May 1908, six years before World War I and in the same year the Ford Model T was launched in the United States. His long life made him a witness to various major world events, ranging from war, pandemic, to extraordinary technological advances.

He was officially recognized as the oldest human in the world in September 2024 and received a Guinness World Records certificate on Elderly Honor Day, a national holiday in Japan dedicated to respecting the elderly.

As a student, Tomiko actively plays volleyball and even climbs Mount Ontake which has a height of 3,067 meters twice.

According to the mayor's statement, in his old age, he enjoyed simple snacks such as bananas, calpis, and white milk drinks popular in Japan.

Tomiko married at the age of 20 and has four children, namely two daughters and two sons. During World War II, she helped manage the office at her husband's textile factory. After her husband died in 1979, Tomiko chose to live alone in Nara.

He left a son, a daughter, and five grandchildren. A simple funeral ceremony was held with the presence of family and closest friends.

Japan is known as one of the countries with the largest elderly population in the world. In September 2024, there were more than 95,000 Japanese people aged 100 years or older, with 88% of them being women. Of Japan's total population of 124 million, nearly a third is 65 years or older.

Now, the world's oldest human title is held by Inah Canabarro Lucas, a Brazilian monk born 16 days after Tomiko Itooka.