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Misao Okawa

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Misao Okawa
大川 ミサヲ
Born
Misao Okawa

5 March 1898[1]
Died1 April 2015[2]
(aged 117 years, 27 days)
Cause of deathHeart failure
Known for
  • Oldest verified living woman (12 January 2013 – 1 April 2015)
  • Oldest verified living person (12 June 2013 – 1 April 2015)
  • Oldest verified Asian person (28 August 2014 – 31 August 2017)
SpouseYukio (m. 1919–1931)
Children3 (2 living)
Relatives
  • 4 grandchildren
  • 6 great-grandchildren

Misao Okawa (大川 ミサヲ, Ōkawa Misao, sometimes romanized as Misawo Okawa, 5 March 1898 – 1 April 2015) was a Japanese supercentenarian who was the world's oldest living person since the death of 116-year-old Japanese man Jiroemon Kimura on 12 June 2013[3] until her own death on 1 April 2015.[2] She was the world's oldest living woman since the death of 115-year-old Japanese woman Koto Okubo on 12 January 2013 until 1 April 2015.[4] She was the oldest verified Japanese and Asian person ever, until being exceed the record by Nabi Tajima in 2017.

Biography

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Okawa was born on 5 March 1898, in the Tenma district (present-day Kita-ku) of Osaka, and in her latter years lived at a nursing home in Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka.[5] She married Yukio in 1919, and had three children, two of whom were still alive at the time of her death. She also had four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.[6]

Longevity

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On 27 February 2013, a few days before her 115th birthday, Misao Okawa was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest living woman in the world, and was presented with a certificate at her nursing home in Osaka.[7]

References

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  1. "Oldest Validated Living Supercentenarians". Gerontology Research Group. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Misao Okawa, Oldest Known Person in World, Dies at 117". NBC News. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  3. Jiroemon Kimura, Oldest Man in Record History dies at age 116 ay Business Week.com
  4. Ryall, Julian (14 January 2013). "Oldest woman in the world dies". The Telegraph. Tokyo: Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  5. "大阪の114歳、女性世界最高齢か ギネス認定へ審査中" [114-year-old from Osaka to be verified as world's oldest woman]. Apital (in Japanese). Japan: The Asahi Shimbun Company. 23 February 2013. Archived from the original on 7 May 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  6. "Misao Okawa, World's Oldest Person, Dead at 117". The Huffington Post. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  7. "Japan names world's oldest woman". USA Today. 27 February 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
Preceded by
Jiroemon Kimura
Oldest recognized living person[broken anchor]
12 June 2013 - 1 April 2015
Succeeded by
Gertrude Weaver
Preceded by
Koto Okubo
Oldest recognized living woman
12 January 2013 - 1 April 2015
Succeeded by
Gertrude Weaver