LongeviQuest is pleased to announce that Mrs. Miyoko Hiroyasu of Ōita Prefecture has been officially recognized as the oldest living person in Japan. As of May 2025, she is 114 years old and remains in good spirits.
Born on 23 January 1911 in Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture, Hiroyasu studied art in Tokyo and later worked as an art teacher in Hiroshima Prefecture. She met her future husband while teaching and went on to raise three children.
On her 114th birthday in January 2025, she was reported to still enjoy reading the newspaper daily, sketching, and playing card games such as Concentration and Sevens with fellow residents of her group home. Although a COVID-19 infection caused a brief delay in celebrating her birthday, she recovered and resumed these activities when her health allowed.
In her earlier years at home in Nakatsu City, before moving into a nursing facility, she taught calligraphy and drawing to local elementary school children four times a week. She once recited Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes” in English—a passage she had memorized during high school—demonstrating her lifelong love of learning.
When asked about the secret to her longevity, she said:
“My older sister and younger sister died early, but I have never been sick. I am grateful to my parents for giving me a healthy body. The key to my longevity is doing what I want to do and not being lazy about anything.”
She often added with a smile, “I just live freely and at my own pace!”
As of May 2025, Hiroyasu continues to enjoy lively conversations with those around her. Although she has been resting a bit more than usual lately, she remains mentally alert and is said to be doing very well overall.
She is believed to be the last surviving person in Ōita Prefecture born in the Meiji era.
LongeviQuest congratulates Mrs. Hiroyasu on this extraordinary milestone.
A video from our visit shortly after her 113th birthday—capturing her cheerful spirit, daily routines, and reflections on longevity—is available here:
