Kane Tanaka

Kane Tanaka

Kane Tanaka celebrating her 117th birthday

Validated

Kane Tanaka [Japanese: 田中カ子] (née Ota; born 2 January 1903) is a Japanese supercentenarian who is the oldest living person in the world whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

Biography

Early Life

Kane Tanaka was born in Kazuki Village (now Fukuoka), Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, on 2 January 1903. She was the seventh of eight children born to Kumakichi and Kuma Ota, and was also born prematurely. She married Hideo Tanaka on 6 January 1922, although they didn't meet before the wedding. They had four children and adopted a fifth.

During World War II, Tanaka worked in her family's store (Tanaka Mochiya) selling rice cakes and noodles. Her son Nobuo was captured by the Soviets, but was released in 1947. She continued to work in the store before retiring at the age of 63. In the 1970s, she visited the United States, where she has several nieces and nephews.

Later life

At the age of 103, Tanaka was diagnosed with colon cancer but survived a five-hour-long surgery. When she was 107, her son wrote a book about her, which discusses her life and longevity.

Tanaka currently resides in Fukuoka prefecture, and has lived in a nursing home since 2005. At the age of 116, she can get around with the help of a walker, play Othello, and do math problems and calligraphy. Her favorite foods include chocolate, and pop beverages. She loves to write poetry and she can still remember her trips to the United States. She attributes her longevity to her faith in God.

Longevity Records

Tanaka became the world's oldest validated living person upon the death of Chiyo Miyako on 22 July 2018. Following the death of Shimoe Akiyama, Tanaka became the last surviving Japanese person born in 1903 and the last person born in 1903 overall upon the death of Italian Maria Giuseppa Robucci on 18 June 2019.

On 9 March 2019, Kane Tanaka was officially presented with the "World's Oldest Living Person" and "World's Oldest Living Woman" titles by Guinness World Records. On 15 December 2019, Kane Tanaka became one of the ten oldest validated people ever recorded.

On 2 January 2020, Tanaka celebrated her 117th birthday, making her the fourth Japanese person to do so. She is currently the second-oldest person ever recorded from Japan, after Nabi Tajima. However, Tajima‘s age is disputed.

Gallery

Kane (front row, centre) with her brothers and sisters.

Photos with family and relatives. From left: Hideo Tanaka, Kane Tanaka, Nobuo Tanaka, Tsuruko Kunimasa, Toyoko Nakamura.

From right: Kane Tanaka, Hana and Nao Sakai (sisters), Kiyoshi Ota (younger brother), around 1992.

Kane Tanaka at the age of 113.

Kane Tanaka being recognised by Guinness World Records, March 2019.

Kane Tanaka in September 2019.

References

• World Supercentenarian Rankings List Gerontology Research Group
• Kane Tanaka, 116 Photo Gallery, GRG
• San Marcos couple celebrate aunt’s 113th year The San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2016
• 国内最高齢１１５歳、入所者励ます　「頑張りんしゃい」 Yahoo Japan, 27 July 2018 ^{(via the Wayback Machine)}
• World’s oldest person confirmed as 116-year-old Kane Tanaka from Japan Guinness World Records, 9 March 2019
• 現在、地球上で最高齢の田中カ子さんにお会いしてきました！ Blog post, 12 August 2019
• 世界最高齢となった田中カ子さま（グッドタイムホーム１・海の中道にお住まい）にお話を伺いました Good Time Home, November 2019
• Kane Tanaka: World's oldest woman celebrates her 117th birthday Sky News, 6 January 2020

World's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • E)

Betsy Baker • Jennie Howell • Marie Carstenson • Nancy Ryan • Christina Karnebeek-Backs • Marie Olsen • Mary Kelly • Elizabeth Kensley • William Fullingim • Hannah Smith • John Mosley Turner • Johanna Booysen • Marie Bernatkova • Ada Roe • Josefa Salas Mateo • Alice Stevenson • Elizabeth Watkins • Mito Umeta • Niwa Kawamoto • Sophia DeMuth • Marie-Virginie Duhem • Fannie Thomas • Augustine Tessier • Nellie Spencer • Emma Wilson • Augusta Holtz • Mary McKinney • Anna Eliza Williams • Florence Knapp • Jeanne Calment • Marie-Louise Meilleur • Sarah Knauss • Eva Morris • Marie Bremont • Maud Farris-Luse • Grace Clawson • Adelina Domingues • Mae Harrington • Yukichi Chuganji • Mitoyo Kawate • Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan • Maria Capovilla • Elizabeth Bolden • Emiliano Mercado del Toro • Emma Tillman • Yone Minagawa • Edna Parker • Maria de Jesus • Gertrude Baines • Kama Chinen • Eugenie Blanchard • Maria Gomes Valentim • Besse Cooper • Dina Manfredini • Jiroemon Kimura • Misao Okawa • Gertrude Weaver • Jeralean Talley • Susannah Mushatt Jones • Emma Morano • Violet Brown • Nabi Tajima • Chiyo Miyako • Kane Tanaka • Lucile Randon • Maria Branyas Morera

World's Oldest Living Woman Titleholders (V • E)

Betsy Baker • Jennie Howell • Marie Carstenson • Nancy Ryan • Christina Karnebeek-Backs • Marie Olsen • Mary Kelly • Elizabeth Kensley • Auguste Pahl • Hannah Smith • Yoshigiku Ito • Johanna Booysen • Marie Bernatkova • Ada Roe • Josefa Salas Mateo • Alice Stevenson • Elizabeth Watkins • Mito Umeta • Niwa Kawamoto • Sophia DeMuth • Marie-Virginie Duhem • Fannie Thomas • Augustine Tessier • Nellie Spencer • Emma Wilson • Augusta Holtz • Mary McKinney • Anna Eliza Williams • Florence Knapp • Jeanne Calment • Marie-Louise Meilleur • Sarah Knauss • Eva Morris • Marie Bremont • Maud Farris-Luse • Grace Clawson • Adelina Domingues • Mae Harrington • Mitoyo Kawate • Ramona Trinidad Iglesias-Jordan • Maria Capovilla • Elizabeth Bolden • Julie Winnefred Bertrand • Emma Tillman • Yone Minagawa • Edna Parker • Maria de Jesus • Gertrude Baines • Kama Chinen • Eugenie Blanchard • Maria Gomes Valentim • Besse Cooper • Dina Manfredini • Koto Okubo • Misao Okawa • Gertrude Weaver • Jeralean Talley • Susannah Mushatt Jones • Emma Morano • Violet Brown • Nabi Tajima • Chiyo Miyako • Kane Tanaka • Lucile Randon • Maria Branyas Morera

Japan's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • T • E)

Waka Shirahama • Tane Ikai • Sue Utagawa • Suekiku Miyanaga • Asa Takii • Tase Matsunaga • Yasu Akino • Denzo Ishizaki • Kayo Fujii • Mie Ishiguro • Matsuno Oikawa • Yukichi Chuganji • Mitoyo Kawate • Ura Koyama • Yone Minagawa • Shitsu Nakano • Tsuneyo Toyonaga • Kaku Yamanaka • Kama Chinen • Chiyono Hasegawa • Jiroemon Kimura • Misao Okawa • Anonymous (Tokyo) • Nabi Tajima • Chiyo Miyako • Kane Tanaka • Fusa Tatsumi • Tomiko Itooka