The Japanese woman who held the title of the world's oldest person at 116 has passed away.

Tomiko Itooka, born on May 23, 1908, had a fondness for bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese beverage known as Calpis.

Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka as she celebrates her 116th birthday, in the city of Ashiya, Japan, on May 23, 2024.

Jan. 4, 2025, 9:00 PM GMT+6 / Source: The Associated Press

TOKYO — Tomiko Itooka, a Japanese woman recognized as the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records, has passed away at the age of 116, an official from Ashiya city confirmed on Saturday.

Yoshitsugu Nagata, an official responsible for elderly policies, stated that Itooka died on December 29 at a care home in Ashiya, located in Hyogo Prefecture, central Japan.

Itooka, who enjoyed bananas and a yogurt-flavored Japanese drink called Calpis, was born on May 23, 1908. She became the oldest living person last year, after the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

When informed that she had reached the top of the World Supercentenarian Rankings, she responded simply with, “Thank you.”

Last year, Itooka celebrated her birthday with flowers, a cake, and a card from the mayor.

Born in Osaka, Itooka was an active volleyball player in high school and maintained a lively spirit throughout her life, Nagata said. She twice climbed Mount Ontake, which stands 3,067 meters (10,062 feet) tall. At 20, she married and had two daughters and two sons, as noted by Guinness.

During World War II, Itooka managed her husband's textile factory. After his death in 1979, she lived alone in Nara.

She is survived by one son, one daughter, and five grandchildren. A private funeral was held with family and friends, Nagata reported.

The Gerontology Research Group has now confirmed that the world’s oldest living person is 116-year-old Brazilian nun Inah Canabarro Lucas, born just 16 days after Itooka.