When asked about her age, she answered, “How old am I now? 113 years old? Well, I’ve lived a long time. I’m surprised myself.” Hiroyasu was born in Oita and had an older sister and a younger sister. She mentioned that ever since she was in first grade, she was the class president, and that’s something she is very proud of. Hiroyasu graduated from a prefectural girls’ high school and entered an art school in Tokyo. She was boarding at her uncle’s house in Tokyo. “There were two maids at my uncle’s house, and they were called Ojo-sama. My grandmother also lived there, she was very strict. At night, before going to bed, I always went to greet my grandmother at bedtime. When I opened the sliding door and said, Grandma, good night, please rest, she always responded with, good night.” Hiroyasu made us laugh by imitating her grandmother’s deep voice.
Yumi Yamamoto and Miyoko Hiroyasu.
Hiroyasu recited Aesop’s “The Fox and the Grapes” in English.
We had heard from the staff at the nursing home that Hiroyasu-san would sometimes tell stories about Aesop’s Fables, “The Fox and the Grapes,” in English. So we requested that she recite the fable for us. Hiroyasu started, “Once upon a time, a fox lived in the countryside. One day, the fox went to the grape garden. The fox said, “This fruit is bad.” My story is over.” She was given a round of applause. During her high school’s school play, she gave a presentation in English. The fact that she still remembers that is truly an amazing memory.
From left: Writer Minobu Usui, President of LongeviQuest Japan Yumi Yamamoto, and Miyoko Hiroyasu.
