World’s oldest person dies at 119 in Japan
The Japanese woman who was recognized as the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records passed away at 119 years old.
Kane Tanaka, the supercentenarian from Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture, died of old age in a hospital on April 19.
Guinness World Records took to Twitter to deliver the news of her death, saying, “We’re sad to report that Kane Tanaka has passed away at the age of 119. … She became the oldest living person in January 2019 at the age of 116 years and 28 days. She is also the second oldest person ever recorded, behind only Jeanne Calment who lived to the age of 122.”
They had previously posted a tweet before her death, saying she was “hospitalized and discharged repeatedly” but still enjoyed having chocolate and drinks such as Coca-Cola.
Tanaka celebrated her 119th birthday on Jan. 2, and the Coca-Cola Company gave her two personalized Coke bottles with her age and name. Her goal was to reach 120 years old.
“I was able to come this far with the support of many people,” her great-granddaughter, Junko Tanaka, previously wrote on Twitter on behalf of Tanaka. “I hope you’ll continue to live life cheerfully and to the fullest.”
“I am extremely saddened by the news,” Fukuoka Governor Seitaro Hattori said in a statement. “I was looking forward to seeing Kane-san on this year’s Respect for the Aged Day and celebrating together with her favorite soda and chocolate.”
Tanaka was born in 1903 and was the seventh of nine siblings. She married at the age of 19 and worked for her family’s rice shop business until the age of 103.
The supercentenarian lived through two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu. Before she died, she resided in a nursing home where she enjoyed solving math problems and playing board games.
Featured Image via Global News
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