Japan's oldest person dies at age 114

FILE PHOTO: Spectators applaud as they watch Ara Style Senior, Japan’s only breakdancing club made up of elderly citizens, perform on stage during a local festival in Tokyo, Japan, May 26, 2024. By September, 2024, the population of people aged 65 and over in Japan was estimated at 36.25 million as of Sunday. - Reuters

OITA, Japan: Japan's oldest person, Miyoko Hiroyasu, a 114-year-old woman in Nakatsu in Oita Prefecture, south-western Japan, has died, the government said on Wednesday (July 30).

According to Kyodo News Agency, Shigeko Kagawa, also a 114-year-old woman in Yamatokoriyama in Nara Prefecture, western Japan, is now the country's new titleholder following Tuesday's death in Nakatsu.

Nakatsu Mayor Masanori Okuzuka said, "I heard she had been in poor health, and I am saddened to learn of her death. She was a source of hope and energy for longevity."

Hiroyasu was born on January 23, 1911, and Kagawa on May 28 of the same year, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. - Bernama/Kyodo