Japan’s oldest woman dies at 113

Published 9:07 pm Saturday, April 5, 2008

TOKYO — Japan’s oldest person has died in central Japan, officials said Saturday. She was 113.

Kaku Yamanaka died at a hospital where she was taken early Saturday after falling ill at a nursing home in Yatomi City in Aichi prefecture, an official at her nursing home said.

Yamanaka was known for her love of singing and took part in local karaoke contests, the nursing home official said.

Born on Dec. 11, 1894, Yamanaka became Japan’s oldest person when Tsuneyo Toyonaga, 113, died in February. It was not immediately clear who had become Japan’s new oldest person, and Health Ministry officials were not available for comment Saturday.

Japan has one of the world’s longest average life spans — a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in fish and rice. In 2006 Japanese women set a new record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live an average of about 79 years.