World’s oldest person, Nabi Tajima, dies in Japan at the age of 117

Nabi Tajima, a 117-year-old Japanese woman died in a hospital on Saturday evening. She was admitted to hospital in January due to her ailing health. She died of old age in the town of Kikai in southern Japan.

Nabi Tajima, born on 4th August 1900, had more than 160 descendants including great-great-great-grandchildren. 

She became the world’s oldest person seven months ago after Violet Brown died in Jamaica in September. Violet Brown was also at the age of 117 and died of dehydration and cardiac arrest five months after being verified as the oldest person living on earth. She was also honoured by Queen Elizabeth II. 

Japanese Television aired a video of Tajima moving her hands to the beat of traditional Japanese instruments at a ceremony to mark the supercentenarian achievement. 

According to Gerontology Research Group, a US-based research company, another woman named Chiyo Miyako is now the world’s oldest person alive in their records. Miyako is due to turn 117 in next 10 days and lives in south of Tokyo in Kanagawa prefecture. 

Guinness World Records was planning to recognize Nabi Tajima as the world’s oldest person. 

112-year-old Masazo Nonaka of northern Japan was certified as the world’s oldest man earlier this month.