Momoko Yamashita was born on 26 June 1914 in Atetsu District (present-day Niimi City), Okayama Prefecture, Japan. She married at the age of 27 and worked as a farmer.
On 26 June 2014, her 100th birthday, a grand celebration was held at the care home she attended as a day-service user, where she was personally presented with a congratulatory letter from the city. Even after turning 100, Yamashita continued to read books and do math drills as hobbies. She attributed her longevity to “staying positive and eating well.” At the age of 108, she was still living at home, walking on her own, and participating in recreational activities at the nursing home several times a week.
Yamashita died from old age in Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan, on 21 October 2024, at the age of 110 years, 117 days.
Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yumi Yamamoto, Ryohei Asano, and Bogdan Solyanikov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 12 November 2024.
* “神郷の山下さん 100歳おめでとう 新見市が祝い金” – Sanyō Shimbun, 27 June 2014
* “山下百子さん” – Sanyō Shimbun, 23 October 2024