Miyoko Hiroyasu, Japan’s oldest living person, passed away on July 29, 2025, at the age of 114 years and 187 days.
She was born on January 23, 1911, in Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture.
Hiroyasu became the oldest living person in Japan after Masu Usui a 114-year-old woman from Shizuoka Prefecture, passed away on May 21, 2025.
At the time of Hiroyasu’s passing, she was the 8th-oldest validated living person in the world.
With the passing of Miyoko Hiroyasu, Shigeko Kagawa, a 114-year-old woman from Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture, has officially become the new oldest living person in Japan.
This change was also acknowledged in a press release from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
👉 Official press release (Japanese)
📝 About Miyoko Hiroyasu – Life and Longevity
Born in Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture, Hiroyasu studied art in Tokyo and later worked as an art teacher in Hiroshima, where she met her husband. Together, they raised three children.
Even in her later years, she remained active in education. Before moving into a nursing home, she taught weekly calligraphy and painting classes at her home for local elementary school students.
She once recited Aesop’s fable “The Fox and the Grapes” in English—a passage she had memorized during high school and could still recall over a century later.
In an interview conducted by LongeviQuest on February 13, 2024, shortly after her 113th birthday, Hiroyasu shared her thoughts on longevity:
“My older and younger sisters passed away early, but I’ve never been seriously ill. I’m grateful to my parents for giving me a healthy body. The key to a long life is doing what you want to do and never being lazy.”
With a warm smile, she added:
“I’m just living freely, at my own pace!”
On January 23, 2025, she celebrated her 114th birthday at a group home in Nakatsu.
Due to the effects of COVID-19, a formal celebration was initially postponed.
It was later held successfully.
She continued to enjoy reading newspapers, sketching, and playing card games like Concentration and Sevens with other residents.
👵 Who Is Japan’s New Oldest Living Person?
With Hiroyasu’s passing, the title of Japan’s oldest living person has passed to Shigeko Kagawa.
She was born on May 28, 1911, and lives in Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture.
Kagawa is currently 114 years old.
She has been the oldest living person in Nara since 2022.
She is now the oldest living person in Japan.
In 2021, she gained national recognition by carrying the Olympic torch at age 109.
She was the oldest Olympic torchbearer in the world at the time.
🕊️ In Memory
LongeviQuest extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of Miyoko Hiroyasu.
We were honored to have met her in person and to share her life and character with a wider audience.
