Sat Jan 04 10:59:57 UTC 2025: ## World’s Oldest Person, Tomiko Itooka, Dies at 116
**Tokyo, Japan –** Tomiko Itooka, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest person, passed away on December 29th, 2024, at the age of 116, an Ashiya city official confirmed on Saturday. Ms. Itooka, who resided in a care home in Ashiya, Hyogo Prefecture, was known for her love of bananas and Calpis, a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink.
Born in Osaka on May 23rd, 1908, Ms. Itooka led a remarkably active life. A former high school volleyball player, she even climbed Mount Ontake, a 3,067-meter peak, twice. She married at the age of 20 and had four children. During World War II, she managed her husband’s textile factory office. After her husband’s death in 1979, she lived independently in Nara before moving to the care home.
Ms. Itooka’s death leaves a 116-year-old Brazilian nun, Inah Canabarro Lucas, as the world’s oldest person according to the Gerontology Research Group. Ms. Itooka is survived by one son, one daughter, and five grandchildren. A private funeral service was held for family and close friends.
First Piper 