World’s oldest person: Kane Tanaka, Japanese woman certified world's oldest person, dies

A Japanese woman officially certified as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records has died aged 119.

Kane Tanaka was born in 1903, and attributed her long life to family, sleep, hope and faith.

Ms Tanaka, who loved playing the board game Othello and had a penchant for chocolate and fizzy drinks, was certified by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in 2019 when she was 116.

At the time, she said she was still loving life and hoped to live until 120.

Ms Tanaka died of old age on April 19 at a hospital in Fukuoka, her hometown in southern Japan where she spent all her life, city officials said on Tuesday.

She had lived at a nursing home and was in and out of hospital recently.

In a statement, Fukuoka governor Seitaro Hattori said he was shocked and saddened by her loss as he was looking forward to marking the Respect for the Aged Day later this year in person over chocolate and fizzy drinks, as he had to miss the occasion last year due to the pandemic.

“I could only see her in a picture showing her with the bouquet and making a ‘peace’ sign (with her fingers), but that cheered me up,” Mr Hattori said.

Kane Tanaka, pictured celebrating a recent birthday at her care home. Photo: REUTERS

“She gave the people hope for healthy long life.”

Following Ms Tanaka’s passing, the world’s oldest human is now Lucile Randon, a French nun known as Sister Andre.

According to The Gerontology Research Group, she is aged 118.