Shigeko Kagawa (賀川滋子), the oldest living person in Japan, celebrated her 115th birthday on 28 May 2026. She currently lives with her family in Yamatokoriyama City, Nara Prefecture, where she spends her days quietly while receiving support from her family and caregivers. A few days before her 115th birthday, she celebrated with her relatives.
She was born in 1911 in Koriyama, now part of Yamatokoriyama City in Nara Prefecture. After working in obstetrics and internal medicine in Osaka, she returned to her hometown in Nara and later took over her family’s clinic.
Kagawa later reflected that the long distances she walked for house calls during her years working in obstetrics, including late at night and on her days off, helped sustain her strength into old age.
After retiring, she enjoyed sewing and regularly watched television health programs, writing down advice that she found useful.
At the age of 109, Kagawa carried the torch in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Torch Relay, becoming one of the oldest recorded torchbearers.
Even after the age of 114, she continued spending time reading newspapers and practicing calligraphy at a local day service center, activities she enjoyed in her daily life.
Today, on her 115th birthday, birthday wishes gathered from LongeviQuest readers and researchers around the world were delivered to her home. According to her family, she carefully looked through the birthday messages and asked, “Which country is this from?” as she read them with interest. She also received celebratory messages and signed boards from members of the local medical community.
LongeviQuest extends warm congratulations to Shigeko Kagawa (賀川滋子) on her 115th birthday.
