THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
December 13, 2023 at 13:51 JST
KASHIWARA, Osaka Prefecture--Fusa Tatsumi, the oldest person in Japan, died of old age here on Dec. 12. She was 116.
Her health had been deteriorating since early December.
“We wanted to celebrate her 117th birthday, but we were also prepared,” her eldest son, Kanji, told The Asahi Shimbun.
“She had done well until now as a star of hope for those who wish for longevity.”
Tatsumi was born on April 25, 1907, in present-day Yao, Osaka Prefecture, according to her relatives and the senior citizens’ home where she lived.
She was the second daughter of six siblings. At 32, she married a farmer who grew peaches and grapes.
Tatsumi enjoyed making ikebana flower arrangements and decorated the entrance of her home with beautiful flowers she had arranged herself until she was 106.
She became the oldest person in Japan in April last year, when Kane Tanaka, who was also the world’s oldest person at the time, passed away at the age of 119.
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura congratulated Tatsumi on her longevity and presented her with a letter of congratulations in September.
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Fusa Tatsumi in Kashiwara, Osaka Prefecture, in September (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
