World’s Oldest Woman Is 114, Lives In Japan

The world has a new oldest woman. Misao Okawa, a 114-year-old woman living in Japan, was officially recognized by Guinness World Records this week as the oldest woman in the world.

According to CBS, Okawa will celebrate her 115th birthday next week. She was born on March 5, 1898. Okawa inherited the title from Koto Okubo who passed away earlier this year at the age of 115.

Misao is 114 years and 359 days old. She has three children, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.

Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said:

“It is an honour to welcome (Misao Okawa) into the Guinness World Records family. Her impressive longevity – nearly 42,000 days – is an inspiration and a testament to the Japanese lifestyle. It’s incredible to think that she was born before the likes of Ernest Hemingway, Vladimir Nabokov, and Walt Disney… Queen Victoria was still on the throne and the Wright Brothers were still a few years from making the first heavier-than-air flight at the time of her birth.”

The “Japan lifestyle” certainly does contribute to longevity. CBS reports that Japan has more than 50,000 people above the age of 100 living in the country. Japan is also home to the world’s oldest man, Jiroemon Kimura, who is 115-years-old.

The national average age in Japan is just under 86-years-old. Okawa and Kimura have outlived the average by nearly 30 years.