As reported by Australian news site News.com.au, 114 year-old Misao Okawa of Japan recently took the title of the oldest woman after the recent death of the previously world's oldest woman, Koto Okubo of Japan in January, who became the world’s oldest woman only one month earlier with the death of Dina Manfredini of the United States.
Okawa, a resident of Osaka, a city of three million people in south Japan, was recognized by Guinness World Records, who certified that she was born on March 5, 1898. Okawa married at the age of 21, and later had three children – two of whom are still alive – as well as four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, the youngest of which is only two months old.
“I'm happy. I'm feeling good anyway,” the news site quoted Okawa as telling local media after being recognized by Guinness.
Less than 30 miles away, in an area of Japan known for the longevity of its residents, lives the world’s oldest man, 115 year-old Jiroemon Kimura.
According to Japanese census data, in 1989 about 12% of the country's population was aged 65 and over, but that number jumped to more than 23% by 2011.