The Japanese woman, Kane Tanaka, was born in 1903, the same year as George Orwell. At that time, Japan in the Meiji era was beginning to embark on the path of modernization and rise.
A century ago, she married and had four children. She spent her later years in a nursing home in Japan. There, she enjoyed playing board games and eating chocolate.
With her passing, 118-year-old French nun Lucile Randon has become the world‘s oldest living person.
In the year Tanaka was born, China was in the Guangxu era, and the president of the United States was Theodore Roosevelt and the king of England was Edward VII.
The Wright Brothers flew their powered planes for the first controlled powered flight in human history and the Tour de France was held for the first time.
The following year, the Russo-Japanese War broke out, and Russia suffered a major defeat.
Tanaka is the seventh of nine siblings. She got married at the age of 19 and runs various businesses including a noodle shop.
She and her husband, who had never met before their marriage, participated in the war of aggression against China in 1937, and her son was captured by the Soviet Union for participating in World War II.
Tanakahara planned to participate in the torch relay of the Tokyo Olympics, but because of the new crown epidemic, she was unable to participate.
In addition to her love of sweets, she is said to often get up early in the nursing home and spend time studying mathematics and calligraphy.
At a ceremony honoring her as the world‘s oldest person in 2019, she said she was happier than ever.
French woman Jeanne Louise Calment still holds the record for the oldest person in the world, including the deceased. She died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days.
Japan has the largest elderly population in the world. More than a quarter of the social population is 65 years old or older.
Good diet, healthcare, and the habit of many older adults who continue to work in later life are thought to be factors behind longevity.