Changes: Kane Tanaka

	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

	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

	Kane Tanaka
	; Tanaka celebrating her 117th birthday in 2020
	Validated

Revision as of 15:48, 9 April 2021

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 of 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 her cousin Hideo Tanaka on 6 January 1922, although they did not meet before the wedding. The couple had four children and adopted a fifth. Their eldest daughter died shortly after birth, and their second daughter died aged one in 1947, while their adopted daughter died aged 23 in 1945.

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. After the war, Tanaka converted to Christianity under the influence of pastors stationed in Japan by the United States military. She continued to work in the store before retiring at the age of 63. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 1972, Tanaka and her husband travelled to the United States, where she has family, and they visited Disneyland.

Later life

Tanaka's husband died in 1993 after 71 years of marriage. At the age of 90, Tanaka underwent an operation for cataracts, and at the age of 103 she survived a bout of colon cancer, also having to undergo surgery. When she was 107, her son wrote a book about her life and longevity. Tanaka enjoys calligraphy, writing poetry, playing Othello, and doing math problems. She enjoys eating chocolate and drinking Coca-Cola. Tanaka attributes her longevity to her faith in God.

Since 2005, Tanaka has lived in a nursing home in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. When she was 116, it was reported that she could get around with the help of a walker. In January 2020, Tanaka celebrated her 117th birthday with family and friends at her nursing home. However, in January 2021 she was not able to celebrate her 118th birthday in the same manner due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2021, it was reported by her relative on social media that Tanaka had fallen ill shortly after turning 118, but had successfully recovered. In a February 2021 photo, Tanaka was pictured wearing an oxygen tube.

Tanaka is scheduled to carry the Olympic Torch during the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay when the flame passes through Shime, Fukuoka, on 11 May 2021. It is expected that Tanaka's family will push her in a wheelchair for most of her 100-metre leg, but she may walk the final few steps before passing the torch to the next runner.

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

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
お久しぶりです... @tanakakane0102 on Twitter, 2 March 2021
CNN Exclusive: Aged 118, the world's oldest living person will carry the Olympic flame in Japan CNN, 5 March 2021

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

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 |sex = Female
 |nationality = Japanese
-|birthyr = 1903 |birthplace = Fukuoka, Fukuoka Pref., Japan
+|birthyr = 1903 |birthplace = Wajiro (now Fukuoka), Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
 |sort = Tanaka, Kane
 }}<!--
 -->'''Kane Tanaka''' [Japanese: '''田中カ子'''] (née '''Ota'''; born 2 January 1903) is a Japanese [[supercentenarian]] who, at the age of {{AgeYD|1903|1|2}}, 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]].
+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 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.
+Kane Tanaka was born prematurely on 2 January 1903 in the village of Wajiro (now part of 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 her cousin Hideo Tanaka on 6 January 1922, although they did not meet before the wedding. The couple had four children and adopted a fifth. Their eldest daughter died shortly after birth, and their second daughter died aged one in 1947, while their adopted daughter died aged 23 in 1945.
-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.
+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. After the war, Tanaka converted to Christianity under the influence of pastors stationed in Japan by the United States military. She continued to work in the store before retiring at the age of 63. To celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 1972, Tanaka and her husband travelled to the United States, where she has family, and they visited Disneyland.
 ===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's husband died in 1993 after 71 years of marriage. At the age of 90, Tanaka underwent an operation for cataracts, and at the age of 103 she survived a bout of colon cancer, also having to undergo surgery. When she was 107, her son wrote a book about her life and longevity. Tanaka enjoys calligraphy, writing poetry, playing [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi#Othello Othello], and doing math problems. She enjoys eating chocolate and drinking Coca-Cola. Tanaka attributes her longevity to her faith in God.
-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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reversi#Othello 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.
+Since 2005, Tanaka has lived in a nursing home in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. When she was 116, it was reported that she could get around with the help of a walker. In January 2020, Tanaka celebrated her 117th birthday with family and friends at her nursing home. However, in January 2021 she was not able to celebrate her 118th birthday in the same manner due to the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COVID-19_pandemic COVID-19 pandemic].
+In March 2021, it was reported by her relative on social media that Tanaka had fallen ill shortly after turning 118, but had successfully recovered. In a February 2021 photo, Tanaka was pictured wearing an oxygen tube.
+Tanaka is scheduled to carry the Olympic Torch during the delayed [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Summer_Olympics_torch_relay 2020 Tokyo Olympics torch relay] when the flame passes through Shime, Fukuoka, on 11 May 2021. It is expected that Tanaka's family will push her in a wheelchair for most of her 100-metre leg, but she may walk the final few steps before passing the torch to the next runner.
 ==Longevity Records==
@@ Line 29: / Line 33: @@
 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 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==
 <gallery>
-Kane Tanaka3.jpg|Kane (front row, centre) with her brothers and sisters
+Kane Tanaka3.jpg|Tanaka (front row, centre) with her brothers and sisters
 Kane Tanaka4.jpg|Photos with family and relatives. From left: Hideo Tanaka, Kane Tanaka, Nobuo Tanaka, Tsuruko Kunimasa, Toyoko Nakamura
 Kane Tanaka2.jpg|From right: Kane Tanaka, Hana and Nao Sakai (sisters), Kiyoshi Ota (younger brother), around 1992
-KaneTanaka102.jpg|Tanaka at 102
+KaneTanaka102.jpg|Tanaka at the age of 102 in 2005
-KaneTanaka103.jpeg|Tanaka at 103
+KaneTanaka103.jpeg|Tanaka at the age of 103 in 2006
-Quizz.jpeg|Kane Tanaka at the age of 113
+Quizz.jpeg|Kane Tanaka at the age of 113 in 2016
+KTanaka115 (2).jpg|Tanaka at the age of 115 in July 2018
+Kane Tanaka mayor Sep2018.png|Tanaka, aged 115, with Fukuoka City Mayor Soichiro Takashima in September 2018
 Kane Tanaka1.jpg|Kane Tanaka being recognised by Guinness World Records, March 2019
+Kane Tanaka c.May2019.jpg|Tanaka at the age of 116 in the spring of 2019
 KaneTanakaSept2019.jpg|Kane Tanaka in September 2019
 Kane_Tanaka_July_2020.jpg|Tanaka in July 2020, aged 117
 Kane_Tanaka2020.9.12.jpg|Tanaka in September 2020, aged 117
 Kane Tanaka Nov2020.jpeg|Tanaka in November 2020, aged 117
+Kane January 21.png|Tanaka on her 118th birthday in January 2021
+Kane_05_February_2021.jpg|Tanaka pictured at the age of 118 on 5 February 2021
 </gallery>
@@ Line 50: / Line 59: @@
 *[https://grg.org/Gallery/1903Gallery.html#Kane_Tanaka Kane Tanaka, 116] Photo Gallery, GRG
 *[http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/06/113-year-old-kane-tanaka-supercentenarian/ San Marcos couple celebrate aunt’s 113th year] The San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2016
-*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180728002913/https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20180727-00000091-asahi-soci 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)
+*[https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL7W3QJRL7WTIPE00K.html 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
+*[https://mainichi.jp/articles/20180728/k00/00m/040/039000c 田中カ子さん１１５歳「-死ぬ気全然せんです」] Mainichi Shimbun, 27 July 2018
+*[https://www.sankei.com/west/news/180727/wst1807270057-n1.html 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
 *[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2019/3/worlds-oldest-person-confirmed-as-116-year-old-kane-tanaka-from-japan World’s oldest person confirmed as 116-year-old Kane Tanaka from Japan] Guinness World Records, 9 March 2019
+*[https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASM4W64ZYM4WTIPE01X.html 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
+*[https://www.rafu.com/2019/06/ja-connections-to-worlds-oldest-person/ JA CONNECTIONS TO WORLD’S OLDEST PERSON] The Rafu Shimpo, 1 June 2019
 *[https://ameblo.jp/tairaseitai/entry-12505081284.html 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
+*[https://www.dailyshincho.jp/article/2019/08310800/?all=1 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
 *[http://www.goodtimehome.com 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
+*[https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO54012990S0A100C2CR8000 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
 *[https://news.sky.com/story/kane-tanaka-worlds-oldest-woman-celebrates-her-117th-birthday-11901905 Kane Tanaka: World's oldest woman celebrates her 117th birthday] Sky News, 6 January 2020
 *[https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/4326f937622c0bee35efacc70473f5937b90ec4b 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
 *[https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2020/09/5e5c26158954-tanaka-sets-new-japan-age-record-at-117-years-261-days.html?fbclid=IwAR2q8R9_82Lb2YuvbplBaKED9I6rgCJjobm-g8QEvK77_jn0HuDgBw32GOw Tanaka sets new Japan age record at 117 years, 261 days] Kyodo News, 19 September 2020
+*[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/21/woman-117-marks-becoming-japans-oldest-ever-person-with-cola-and-boardgames Woman, 117, marks becoming Japan's oldest ever person with cola and boardgame] The Guardian, 21 September 2020
+*[https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20201104/p2a/00m/0na/020000c Oldest person in world from west Japan aged 117 to join 2021 Olympic torch relay] Mainichi Shimbun, 5 November 2020
+*[https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2021/01/02/national/worlds-oldest-person-marks-118th-birthday-fukuoka/ World's oldest person marks 118th birthday in Fukuoka] The Japan Times, 2 January 2021
+*[https://twitter.com/tanakakane0102/status/1345207471019753473 【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
+*[https://twitter.com/tanakakane0102/status/1366692154899263489 お久しぶりです...] @tanakakane0102 on Twitter, 2 March 2021
+*[https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/04/sport/japan-supercentenarian-olympic-torchbearer-hnk-intl/index.html CNN Exclusive: Aged 118, the world's oldest living person will carry the Olympic flame in Japan] CNN, 5 March 2021
 {{titleholders-oldest-living}}
 {{Titleholders-oldest-living-woman}}

Kane Tanaka
Tanaka celebrating her 117th birthday in 2020
Validated