Japanese woman named world's oldest person
Guinness World Records honours 116-year-old Kane Tanaka
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A 116-year-old woman from Japan has been officially recognised as the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records.
Kane Tanaka was honoured by the organisation in a ceremony at the nursing home where she lives in Fukuoka, a city in southwest Japan.
Her family and the city's mayor also attended the celebration.
Ms Tanaka was born on 2 January 1903.
She married Hideo Tanaka in 1922, and they had five children.
The 116-year-old enjoys playing board games and studying maths.
The previous oldest living person was another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, who died in July at the age of 117.
Japanese people tend to exhibit longevity and dominate the oldest-person list.
Although changing dietary habits mean obesity has been rising in the country, it is still relatively rare. Japan's culinary tradition focuses on fish, rice, vegetables and other food low in fat.
Age is also traditionally respected in the nation, meaning people stay active and feel useful into their 80s and beyond.
The oldest person ever was Jeanne Louise Calment, a French woman who lived to 122, according to Guinness World Records.
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments