In her family, Chiyo Miyako was known simply as “the goddess.”
At age 117, she was not just their ancient, reigning monarch, but also the oldest person in the entire world.
This week, the Japanese Health Ministry announced that Miyako died July 22.
She was born in 1901, and her family said she loved sushi and eel, and enjoyed calligraphy. “(T)hey described her as a patient and kind person who brought happiness to those who met her,” Guinness World Records said.
She claimed the title of world’s oldest living person not long before her death. Nabi Tajima, who preceded Miyako as the last oldest living person in the world, was also Japanese and also lived until 117. She died in April. The woman who is predicted to take over the title as the world’s oldest woman is also Japanese: Kane Tanaka is 115.
This week, the world’s oldest man, who also lives in Japan, celebrated his 113th birthday. As The Washington Post’s Ruby Mellen reported, Masazo Nonaka grew up in Ashoro, close to well-known hot springs, and points to those mineral-rich waters and his love of candy and sweets as the reason for his long-lasting health.