Kane Tanaka

Kane Tanaka

Tanaka celebrating her 117th birthday in 2020

Validated

Kane Tanaka [Japanese: 田中カ子] (née Ota; born 2 January 1903) is a Japanese supercentenarian who, at the age of 121 years, 107 days, is recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living person in the world. Her age is also validated by Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

Since surpassing the age of Nabi Tajima in September 2020, Tanaka has held the record as the longest-lived Japanese person of all-time whose age has been validated by the GRG. Furthermore, she also became the third-oldest validated person in world history, after Jeanne Calment and Sarah Knauss. In January 2021, Tanaka became only the third validated person ever to reach the age of 118.

Biography

Early Life

Kane Tanaka was born prematurely on 2 January 1903 in the village of Wajiro (now part the city of Fukuoka), Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. She was the seventh of either eight or nine children (sources differ) born to Kumakichi and Kuma Ota. She married Hideo Tanaka on 6 January 1922, although they did not meet before the wedding. The couple 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 attributes her longevity to her faith in God.

Tanaka currently resides in Fukuoka prefecture, and has lived in a nursing home since 2005. When she was 116, it was reported that she could get around with the help of a walker, play Othello, and do math problems and calligraphy. She enjoys eating chocolate and drinking Coca-Cola. She loves to write poetry and she can still remember her trips to the United States.

Longevity Records

Tanaka became the world's oldest validated living person upon the death of Chiyo Miyako on 22 July 2018. Tanaka became the last surviving Japanese person born in 1903 following the death of Shimoe Akiyama on 29 January 2019, and the last person in the world born in 1903 following the death of Italian Maria Giuseppa Robucci on 18 June 2019.

On 9 March 2019, 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, she became one of the ten oldest validated people ever recorded after surpassing Maria Capovilla's final age of 116 years, 347 days.

On 2 January 2020, Tanaka celebrated her 117th birthday, making her the fourth Japanese person to do so. Upon reaching the age of 117 years, 261 days on 19 September 2020, Tanaka broke Nabi Tajima's record to become the longest-lived validated Japanese person ever recorded. She also became the third-oldest human being of all-time, after Jeanne Calment and Sarah Knauss. On 2 January 2021, Tanaka celebrated her 118th birthday; this was only the third time in history that a person has verifiably reached the age of 118, and the first such birthday since 1998.

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

Tanaka at 102

Tanaka at 103

Kane Tanaka at the age of 113

Kane Tanaka being recognised by Guinness World Records, March 2019

Kane Tanaka in September 2019

Tanaka in July 2020, aged 117

Tanaka in September 2020, aged 117

Tanaka in November 2020, aged 117

Tanaka on her 118th birthday in January 2021

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」 Asahi Shimbun, 27 July 2018
• 田中カ子さん１１５歳「-死ぬ気全然せんです」 Mainichi Shimbun, 27 July 2018
• １１５歳国内最高齢の田中カ子さん　「みんなのおかげ」と感謝　カフェオレ毎日３、４本 The Sankei News, 27 July 2018
• World’s oldest person confirmed as 116-year-old Kane Tanaka from Japan Guinness World Records, 9 March 2019
• 明治から生きる１１６歳描く夢　令和も「長生きしたい」 The Asahi Shimbun, 30 April 2019
• JA CONNECTIONS TO WORLD’S OLDEST PERSON The Rafu Shimpo, 1 June 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
• 45歳ですい臓がん、103歳で大腸がんを克服！　世界最長寿・田中力子さん116歳 Daily Shincho, 29 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
• 最高齢田中さん117歳に　戦争、病越え5時代生きる The Nikkei, 2 January 2020
• Kane Tanaka: World's oldest woman celebrates her 117th birthday Sky News, 6 January 2020
• 117歳の田中さんに特製チョコ　世界最高齢「老人の日」でお祝い Yahoo Japan, 14 September 2020
• Tanaka sets new Japan age record at 117 years, 261 days Kyodo News, 19 September 2020
• Woman, 117, marks becoming Japan's oldest ever person with cola and boardgame The Guardian, 21 September 2020
• Oldest person in world from west Japan aged 117 to join 2021 Olympic torch relay Mainichi Shimbun, 5 November 2020
• World's oldest person marks 118th birthday in Fukuoka The Japan Times, 2 January 2021
• 【快挙】誕生日を迎え、ついに、日本人初の118歳になりました...

@tanakakane0102 on Twitter, 2 January 2021

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