Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old former mountaineer, is set to be recognized as the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records.
Born on May 23, 1908, Itooka resides in Ashiya, a city in western Japan, according to the U.S.-based Gerontology Research Group. She has been passionate about climbing throughout much of her life.
The announcement came in August 2023, following the passing of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera from Spain earlier this week. With Morera’s death, Itooka is now set to inherit the title of the world’s oldest person.
A mother of three, Itooka was born in a year marked by the first long-distance radio transmission from the Eiffel Tower and the Wright brothers’ public flights in Europe and America.
After the death of her husband in 1979, Itooka lived alone for ten years in his hometown of Nara Prefecture, often enjoying climbing trips, including expeditions on Mt. Nijo.
In her 70s, she astonished her guide by climbing Mount Ontake, a 3,067-meter peak in Japan, in sneakers rather than hiking boots. In her 80s, she participated in the Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, visiting 33 temples. At 100, she climbed the stone steps of Ashiya Shrine unaided.
Maria Branyas Morera, the previous record holder, passed away in Spain at 117 years and 168 days.
Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old former mountaineer, is set to be recognized as the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records.
Born on May 23, 1908, Itooka resides in Ashiya, a city in western Japan, according to the U.S.-based Gerontology Research Group. She has been passionate about climbing throughout much of her life.
The announcement came in August 2023, following the passing of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera from Spain earlier this week. With Morera’s death, Itooka is now set to inherit the title of the world’s oldest person.
A mother of three, Itooka was born in a year marked by the first long-distance radio transmission from the Eiffel Tower and the Wright brothers’ public flights in Europe and America.
After the death of her husband in 1979, Itooka lived alone for ten years in his hometown of Nara Prefecture, often enjoying climbing trips, including expeditions on Mt. Nijo.
In her 70s, she astonished her guide by climbing Mount Ontake, a 3,067-meter peak in Japan, in sneakers rather than hiking boots. In her 80s, she participated in the Osaka 33 Kannon Pilgrimage, visiting 33 temples. At 100, she climbed the stone steps of Ashiya Shrine unaided.
Maria Branyas Morera, the previous record holder, passed away in Spain at 117 years and 168 days.
