Shizuko Kiyuna (喜友名静子), the oldest living person in Okinawa Prefecture Japan, passed away in Chatan on 14 September, at the age of 113 years, 96 days. Her passing was first reported by the Okinawa Times.
Shizuko Kiyuna was born in Shimoseido, Chatan Town, Okinawa Prefecture, on 10 June 1912, as the youngest of eleven siblings. After graduating from school, she spent her youth helping her parents farm sugar cane in the fields of Chatan. At the age of 17, she married and went on to have four children. During her husband’s deployment to the Second Sino-Japanese War, Kiyuna remained in Okinawa to care for their young children.
During World War II, Kiyuna and her family fled Chatan on foot as American forces invaded Okinawa, escaping through the forests of the Motobu Peninsula while their hometown was seized and later became part of Kadena Air Base. After the war, they returned to Chatan, where she supported her husband’s civil service career, managed the household, and pursued her passion for farming, often prioritizing fieldwork over school visits. In the late 1950s, she opened Kiyuna Shōten, a small store that supplied food and daily goods at a time when supermarkets were scarce, making it an important hub for the community. At 60, she handed the shop to her son, built a home nearby, and dedicated herself to gardening—growing orchids, azaleas, and vegetables.
Upon her passing, it’s reported that 110-year-old Uto Toyosato, a resident of Naha, succeeded her as the oldest living person in Okinawa.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Shizuko Kiyuna during this difficult time.
