Sumiko Mori, the third-oldest living person in Japan, passed away today in Ise, Mie Prefecture, at the age of 113 years, 325 days. According to her family, earlier today she ate lunch as usual and spoke with them about the approaching New Year, expressing her anticipation for it. She later passed away peacefully in her sleep of natural causes.
Sumiko Mori (Japanese: 森スミ子) was born in Nakatsu, Ōita Prefecture, Japan, on 30 January 1912. She was raised in a family that valued education and attended Nakatsu Girls’ High School. It is said that Mori was not especially fond of studying, but her competitive spirit kept her among the top students.
In her early 20s, she married a naval officer in Tokyo. During the Pacific War, while her husband was away at the front, she lived with her three young daughters in Fukuoka. Just before the war ended, she crossed the Kanmon Strait with her children and moved to her husband’s hometown of Ise, Mie Prefecture. After the war, the family moved to a large property of about 1,190 square meters, where Mori raised five children.
On 2 November 2022, following the death of 111-year-old Toku Isaka, she became the oldest living person in Mie Prefecture.
At the time of her passing, she was the nation’s third-oldest living resident, after Shigeko Kagawa and Fuyo Kishimoto.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Sumiko Mori during this difficult time.
