LongeviQuest is delighted to announce the age validation of Chitose Awata of Japan at age 110. She was born in Ogōri-cho, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan on 20 August 1913. Active from childhood, she excelled in school and later learned traditional sewing. Around 20, she married a agricultural extension instructor and raised three children.
Widowed after a decade, she embraced farming, earning recognition as Yamaguchi’s Best Wheat Producer. Passionate about education, she raised five children (including an orphaned niece and nephew) and actively supported their learning. Beyond the farm, she engaged in PTA, women’s association, and sewing lessons, even becoming a licensed acupuncturist at 34. In her 50s and 60s, she devoted herself to her grandchildren, remaining an energetic and involved pillar of her community.
In her 70s, a hip issue led to her using a walker, but Awata’s spirit remained vibrant. She regularly visited Tokyo by bullet train, making many friends despite her condition. Until she was 96, she lived independently with her son, even working and doing chores. At 96, she moved to a care house in Yamaguchi, needing minimal assistance until 107. Her daughter then joined her, and Awata followed a daily routine until 107, even enjoying a small drink before bed. Though now at a nursing home due to needing a wheelchair, her daughter stays connected, sending snacks and letters.
In the summer of 2019, aged 106.
(Source: Courtesy of
the family)
Awata credits her vibrant health to two major factors: the traditional Japanese practice of dry towel rubbing “kanpu masatsu (乾布摩擦) and her fortunate name. She believes the childhood ritual of rubbing her back with a dry towel after washing her face with well water strengthened her body and built resistance to colds. Her first name, meaning “thousand years” in kanji, serves as a constant reminder of her good fortune, which she attributes to her father’s thoughtful choice.
In September 2023, she expressed, “I’m a lucky person to be able to meet my 83-year-old daughter even though I’m over 110 years old.” Currently residing in a welfare facility for the elderly in Yamaguchi City, she continues to occasionally participate in activities such as gymnastics and walking practice.
For more information, please view Chitose Awata’s Directory Profile here.
