LongeviQuest has confirmed the passing of Nobu Kawano (Japanese: 河野のぶ), who was the oldest living person in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She passed away on 22 October 2024, at the age of 113 years and 208 days.
Nobu Kawano was born on 28 March 1911, in Omitama, Ibaraki, Japan, as the fifth of nine siblings. After working as a babysitter in Tokyo, she married in Kanagawa at 21 and had five children.
During World War II, she worked in a munitions factory and grew food on the Tsurumi Riverbed due to shortages. After the Kanagawa Air Raid, her family evacuated to Yamanashi, where she supported them by selling charcoal. After the war, she returned to Kanagawa, dedicating herself to homemaking and sewing.
Widowed at 67, she lived independently until 92 and remained active in her community. She climbed a steep hill daily until 105, which her family credited for her strength. After surviving aspiration pneumonia, she moved to a nursing home at 105 but remained able to feed herself at 112. She enjoyed tuna sashimi and sake, with her diet later adjusted for safety.
On 9 July 2024, following the passing of 114-year-old Masa Matsumoto, she became the oldest living person in Kanagawa Prefecture.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Nobu Kawano during this difficult time.
