The oldest woman in the world turned 119 years old 1:13
(CNN) --
A Japanese woman who was certified as the world's oldest person has died at the age of 119, according to a statement released Monday by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
Kane Tanaka, who was born on January 2, 1903, died on April 19, according to the ministry.
Guinness World Records said it was saddened to learn of Tanaka's passing, saying news of his death had been confirmed by Senior Gerontology Consultant Robert Young, who also helped confirm his record as the oldest living person and the person oldest female in 2019.
In a tweet earlier this month, Tanaka's family said she had recently been frequently sick and "in and out of hospital."
He is 97 years old, is an active tennis player and decided not to leave his country 2:20
CNN had previously reported on Tanaka during her preparation to participate in the Olympic torch relay ahead of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. She ultimately decided not to participate due to covid-19 concerns.
advertising
The life of the oldest woman in the world
Tanaka was born in 1903, the year aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright made history by completing the world's first powered flight.
She had four children with a rice shop owner whom she married at age 19 and worked in the family store until she was 103. She has five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
She lived through two world wars and the Spanish flu of 1918, although her grandson Eiji said, "I don't remember her talking much about the past... She's very far-sighted, she really enjoys living in the present."
The oldest tennis player in the world wants to live 100 years and this is expected from the war in Ukraine
Tanaka currently lived in a nursing home.
Japan a land of centenarians
For the first time last year, Japan recorded more than 80,000 centenarians, according to the country's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
As of 2020, one in 1,565 people in Japan was over the age of 100, more than 88% of them women.
In Japan, women have a life expectancy of 87.4 years compared to 81.4 years for men, government figures released in July 2020 showed.
In 2019, the Guinness Book of World Records certified Tanaka as the world's oldest living person, and now he has his sights set on another milestone: The record for the oldest person to have lived is held by a French woman, who died at the 122 years.
Japan
