Kane Tanaka

Kane Tanaka (田中カ子, Tanaka Kane, born 2 January 1903) (née Ota) is a Japanese supercentenarian, who is the world's oldest verified living person at age 118 years, 38 days.[1] She is the third-oldest verified person and oldest verified Japanese person ever.[2][3]

Kane Tanaka
田中カ子
Kane Tanaka in 1923 at 20 years old
Born
Kane Ota

(1903-01-02)2 January 1903 (age 118 years, 38 days)
Wajiro Village (now Higashi-ku, Fukuoka Prefecture), Japan
NationalityJapanese
Known for
  • Oldest living person
    (since 22 July 2018)
  • Oldest verified Japanese person ever
Spouse(s)
Hideo Tanaka
​
​
(m. 1922; died 1993)​
Children5; 4 biological, 1 adopted

Personal life

Kane Tanaka, née Ota, was born on 2 January 1903 in the village of Wajiro (now part of Higashi-ku, Fukuoka), on the southern island of Kyushu,[4] the third daughter and seventh child of her parents, Kumayoshi and Kuma Ota.[5][6] Kane was born prematurely and raised on breast milk.[7] Kane's early childhood was during the last years of the Meiji period, which ended when she was nine, in 1912.[8] Kane married her cousin Hideo Tanaka in 1922, with whom she had two sons and two daughters.[9] The couple also adopted a third daughter during their marriage, the second daughter of Hideo's sister.[10][5] Kane's eldest daughter died shortly after birth and her second daughter died at the age of one in 1947, while her adoptive daughter died in 1945 at the age of 23 of an unspecified illness.[6][8][11] The couple worked in a store selling shiruko and udon noodles.[12][13] Kane's husband was later drafted into the military service, which lasted from 1937 to 1939; one of her sons was captured towards the end of World War II, as he also served in the military, and was held prisoner in Siberia before being released and returning home in 1947.[11]

After World War II the couple continued working in the store, and Kane converted to Christianity, under the influence of pastors stationed by the United States military.[6][14] Retiring from working at their store at 63, Kane traveled to the United States in the 1970s to visit her relatives in California and Colorado.[4][15] Her husband died in 1993 at the age of 90.[6] Kane has been living in a nursing home in Higashi-ku, Fukuoka since September 2018, and was reportedly still in good health on her 118th birthday.[1][16] She occasionally plays Othello and takes short walks in the facility's hallways. Her hobbies include calligraphy, and solving arithmetic problems.[16] She has five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.[11]

Health and longevity

Tanaka has had several major illnesses, and was infected with paratyphoid fever with her adopted daughter at the age of 35.[17] She underwent pancreatic cancer surgery at the age of 45.[17] Most recently, Kane was diagnosed with colorectal cancer and underwent surgery when she was 103 years old.[4] Her life and longevity were noted by her second son and his wife four years later when they published a book called: In Good and Bad Times, 107 Years Old.[6] At the age of 114, she was interviewed by KBC in September 2017.[18] Kane said she would like to live to the age of 120, crediting family, sleep, hope, eating good food, and practicing math for her longevity.[4][19][20]

See also

References
  1. "World's oldest woman celebrates 118th birthday". NHK World-Japan. 2 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  2. "117-year-old granny sets new record as Japan's oldest ever person". Kyodo News+. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  3. McCurry, Justin (21 September 2020). "Woman, 117, marks becoming Japan's oldest ever person with cola and boardgames". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  4. Kashiwagi, Toshihiro (27 July 2018). 国内最高齢１１５歳、入所者励ます「頑張りんしゃい」 [At 115, the oldest man in Japan advises citizens to "try hard"]. Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  5. Senda, Masakazu (9 March 2019). "World's oldest person confirmed as 116-year-old Kane Tanaka from Japan". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. "最高齢田中さん117歳に 戦争、病越え5時代生きる". The Nikkei (in Japanese). 2 January 2020. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  7. Hoda, Masashi (27 July 2018). 田中カ子さん１１５歳「-死ぬ気全然せんです」 [Japan's oldest woman, Kanako Tanaka, at 115: "I do not feel like dying at all"]. Mainichi Shimbun (in Japanese). Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  8. "明治から生きる１１６歳描く夢 令和も「長生きしたい」". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 30 April 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  9. "５つ目の元号を迎える"歴史の生き証人"世界最高齢１１６歳田中カ子さん、願うのは「みんなが幸せな時代」". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  10. Wharton, Jane (2 January 2020). "The oldest person alive is celebrating her 117th birthday today by sucking into a bowl of strawberries and cream". Metro. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  11. Tokyo, Richard Lloyd Parry. "Number of Japanese centenarians surges to record 80,000". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  12. Masakazu Senda. "福岡在住の田中カ子さんが、116歳66日で世界最高齢としてギネス世界記録に認定" (in Japanese). Guinness World Records. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. "45歳ですい臓がん、103歳で大腸がんを克服！ 世界最長寿・田中力子さん116歳". Daily Shincho (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  14. Naoko Sakamoto (21 September 2020). "国内の歴代最高齢 １１７歳の田中カ子さん 記憶に焼きつく祈る姿". Christian Press (in Japanese). Retrieved 12 November 2020.
  15. McIntosh, Linda (6 June 2016). "San Marcos couple celebrate aunt's 113th year". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  16. "Japan's oldest person Chiyo Miyako dies at 117". The Japan Times. Kyodo. 27 July 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2018.
  17. Hanada (2010). Honto "In Good and Bad Times, 107 Years Old". Azusa College. ISBN 978-4-87035-380-0.
  18. "元気に長生きする秘けつ" [The secret to a healthy long life] (in Japanese). KBC. 19 September 2017. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  19. Brennan, David (27 July 2018). "Who is the World's oldest Person? Chiyo Miyako Dies At 117, Passing Title To Kane Tanaka". Newsweek. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  20. Karimi, Faith (27 December 2020). "5 things the week ahead". CNN. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
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