(ANSA) - TOKYO, 20 SEP - At the ripe old age of 117 years and 261 days, Mrs. Kane Tanaka became the oldest woman ever in Japan, surpassing the previous record that belonged to another woman until April 2018. Last March , Tanaka, who lives in a nursing home in Fukuoka, southwestern Japan, had already been recognized as the oldest person in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Born on January 2, 1903, the seventh of 9 children, Tanaka married at 19, had four children and adopted another.
She celebrated the new record with a glass of Coca-Cola, her favorite drink along with chocolate bars, says the Japanese press, wearing a shirt that had been given to her by her 60-year-old nephew Eiji.
Tanaka's family explained that the coronavirus pandemic has made visits to the nursing home more difficult but ensures that "the woman is in good shape, and intends to stay healthy for up to 120 years, and beyond".
(HANDLE).