Kaku Yamanaka, Japan's oldest person, is all smiles in this undated photo. Yamanaka has died of old age in central Japan, officials said Saturday, April 5, 2008. She was 113. (AP Photo/Kyodo News) By Chisaki Watanabe
Associated Press Writer
TOKYO (AP), April 5, 2008:
Kaku Yamanaka, Japan's oldest person, has died of old age in central Japan, officials said Saturday. She was 113.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry said a woman in Okinawa Prefecture has now become the oldest person in Japan at 112. But it did not disclose her name, address or other details at her family's request.
Yamanaka died at a hospital where she was taken early Saturday after falling ill at a nursing home in Yatomi City in Aichi prefecture (state), an official at her nursing home said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.
Born on December 11, 1894, Yamanaka became Japan's oldest person when Tsuneyo Toyonaga, 113, died in February. Yamanaka was known for her love of singing and took part in local karaoke contests, the nursing home official said.
She told facility officials and others that drinking a nutrition-supplement drink every day was the secret of her longevity, they said.
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.
The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has almost quadrupled over the past 10 years. There were 32,295 centenarians in 2007, according to the Health Ministry.
Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press.
