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Irish Mirror
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Kelly-Ann Mills & Rebecca Daly

World's oldest person Kane Tanaka dies in Japan aged 119 after sharing tips for long life

The world’s oldest person, a 119-year-old woman from Japan named Kane Tanaka, has died.

Her death was announced by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

Ms Tanaka was born on January 2, 1903 - the year of the Wright Brothers' first controlled flight of their motor-driven aeroplane.

READ MORE: Is this the oldest person to ever live? Family says woman was 134 years old - and government backs claim

She was confirmed by Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person.

Tanaka died of old age at a hospital in Fukuoka city, western Japan, on Tuesday April 19.

During her life, she had been partial to chocolate and fizzy drinks, NHK said.

Japan has a dwindling and rapidly ageing population. As of last September, the country had 86,510 centenarians, and nine out of every 10 were women.

She was confirmed by the Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest living person (( Image: REUTERS))

Despite Tanaka’s age, she typically woke up at 6am and was still learning, often studying subjects like maths during her afternoons. She also loved playing the classic board game Othello and had become an expert at the game, often beating nursing home staff.

Tanaka was confirmed as the oldest person alive on January 30, 2019, (when she was 116 years 28 days) with her loved ones and the mayor present for the occasion.

She was the seventh child of Kumakichi and Kuma Ota, had married Hideo Tanaka on January 6, 1922, four days after turning 19.

The five oldest living people are all women (( Image: guinnessworldrecords.com/))

The couple went on to have four children and adopted a fifth.

Do you know anyone in the running for oldest living person? Let us know in the comments section

During her life, she suffered from a number of health issues, and had several operations, including surgeries for cataracts and colorectal cancer, but lived 'peacefully' in her final years.

All five of the longest living people, as of April 25, 2022, are women, The Mirror UK reports.

Lucile Radon is now the oldest living person. She was born on February 11, 1904, making her 118 years and 73 days old.

Tekla Juniewicz is 115 years and 319 days old, having been born on June 10, 1906. Maria Branyas Morera was born on March 4, 1907 and is 115 years and 52 days old.

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