Yone Minagawa

Yone Minagawa (皆川 ヨ子, Minagawa Yone?) (January 4, 1893 – August 13, 2007) was a Japanese supercentenarian believed to have been the world's oldest living person from January 29, 2007 until her death of old age, aged 114 years and 221 days.

After her husband died, she raised her five children by selling flowers and vegetables at a coal mine.

Minagawa lived alone in the Momochi apartment building in Nishijin Sawara Ward, Fukuoka, near Seinan Gakuin University, until 2005, when she moved to Keijuen, a special nursing home in her native Akaike. Minagawa enjoyed playing the shamisen. Even at 114 she participated in club activities in a wheelchair and "danced" along to music.

Minagawa became the oldest living person in Japan when then 114-year-old Ura Koyama died in April 2005. With the death of 114-year-old American Emma Tillman on January 28, 2007, Minagawa became the oldest living person in the world. Yone was 114 years and 25 days at the time (being the next day in Japan relative to the USA).[1]

At the time of her ascension, Minagawa was the youngest person to hold this title since Carrie C. White was the same age on December 13, 1988, or (for those who doubt the authenticity of White's claim) since Jeanne Calment was 114 years and 25 days old on March 18, 1989. During her last few months, she passed former fellow 114-year-old compatriot and the world's oldest person Mitoyo Kawate in age.

Minagawa died on August 13, 2007. All but one of her children died before her, but she leaves six grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. With her death, 114-year-old Edna Parker of the United States became the oldest living person.