At 111 years old, Tsuru Yamamoto (山本つる) lives with her daughter in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Although she now lives in Kanagawa, she remains the oldest registered resident of Ōta Ward, Tokyo.
She attends an adult day care center twice a week and receives home rehabilitation twice a week. She folds her own laundry and enjoys reading monthly magazines, classical Japanese poetry collections such as the Man’yōshū and the Kokin Wakashū, books on calligraphy, and watching television.
LongeviQuest recently spoke with her family about her life and the many experiences that have filled it over the past 111 years.
Tsuru Yamamoto on her 111th birthday in March 2026. (Courtesy of the family)
Surviving the Great Kantō Earthquake and World War II
Tsuru Yamamoto was born on 25 March 1915 in Honjo, Tokyo City, Tokyo Prefecture (present-day Sumida City, Tokyo). Her father owned a movie theater in Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s traditional downtown districts.
She had an older brother, an older sister, and a younger sister. Longevity also runs in her family, as her younger sister, Umeko Kanamori, later became the oldest living resident of Nagareyama, Chiba Prefecture, and lived to the age of 107.
When the Great Kantō Earthquake struck on 1 September 1923, Tsuru was eight years old. Near her home stood the former Army Clothing Depot in Honjo, where tens of thousands of people sought refuge. While many people fled there, her grandfather judged the direction of the wind and urged the family to head toward Chiba instead. His decision saved their lives, as the depot became the site of one of the disaster’s deadliest fire whirls, claiming approximately 38,000 lives.
The family spent a short time in Chiba before returning to Tokyo.
Tsuru with her father at Naritasan Shinshō-ji, Tokyo, at the age of 9. (Courtesy of the family)
After graduating from elementary school, Tsuru enrolled at Ōtsuma Girls’ High School (now Ōtsuma Junior and Senior High School). During her school years, she was known for her athletic ability and was selected to give demonstration performances in gymnastics and dance, something she remained proud of even later in life.
When Tsuru was in elementary school, her older brother became a Christian and began taking her to church every Sunday. She was later baptized and became a Christian herself. She later worked alongside her younger sister at a church-operated nursery school.
Following the Great Tokyo Air Raid of 10 March 1945, Tsuru joined other members of her church in helping at a nursery school and a home for mothers and children in heavily damaged Honjo. Walking through the burned-out city, she witnessed countless charred bodies. She later helped lead 13 mothers and children who had survived at the nursery school back to Koiwa. In a commemorative publication marking the 50th anniversary of Koiwa Church, Tsuru looked back on that experience, writing that, at the time, she had felt, “God never gives us more than we can bear.”
Tsuru at around the age of 20. (Courtesy of the family)
Always Open to Trying Something New
After the war, Tsuru was introduced by her pastor to a high school teacher, whom she later married in an arranged marriage. Together they raised two sons and a daughter.
Wanting to keep her husband and children healthy, she attended cooking classes, where she learned to prepare Western-style dishes such as gratin—still uncommon in many Japanese households at the time—and enjoyed serving them to her family.
Her interests extended well beyond cooking. She enjoyed cycling, swimming, dressmaking, leathercraft, knitting, calligraphy, and haiga, a traditional Japanese art form that combines haiku with ink painting.
At her husband’s encouragement, she began studying calligraphy, which soon became one of her favorite pursuits. As her skills grew, she began teaching neighborhood children and continued holding classes until her eighties.
She continued taking the train to attend haiga classes until her nineties. Some of her classmates were around 30 years younger than she was. She enjoyed having lunch with them and traveling together, and her family believes these friendships with younger people may have contributed to her youthful outlook on life.
She also enjoyed traveling. Until around her seventies, she visited five or six European countries, as well as Taiwan and Southeast Asia, with friends.
In her nineties, Tsuru was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She began rehabilitation the day after surgery and recovered well.
With the support of her family, she continued living independently in Tokyo until the age of 105 before moving in with her daughter in Yamato, where she continues to live today.
Giving Back Through Art
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, Tsuru wanted to do something to help those affected by the disaster. The following year, she had 300 calendars featuring her own haiga works printed and sent them to people affected by the disaster in Sukagawa, Fukushima Prefecture.
Remembering her own experience of surviving the Great Kantō Earthquake at the age of eight, as well as evacuating to Sukagawa after the Great Tokyo Air Raid, she wanted to do what she could for those facing another devastating disaster.
The cover of a calendar featuring Tsuru Yamamoto’s haiga artwork. (Courtesy of the family)
Enjoying Life Every Day
Today, Tsuru lives with her daughter in Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture. She attends an adult day care center twice a week and receives home rehabilitation twice a week.
She folds her own laundry and enjoys reading monthly magazines, classical Japanese poetry collections such as the Man’yōshū and the Kokin Wakashū, and books on calligraphy. She also enjoys watching television.
Her favorite food is sushi. She especially enjoys tuna sashimi about twice a week and is also fond of grilled eel.
When Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers appears on television, Tsuru smiles and says, “He seems like such a nice young man.”
She also takes an annual hot spring trip with her family. At the age of 111, she will visit Hakone with them.
Tsuru Yamamoto at the age of 111 in July 2026. (Courtesy of the family)
A Positive Way of Life
According to her family, Tsuru has always looked on the positive side of life. She does not speak ill of others, does not dwell on problems, and has always had a strong will.
Her family also describes her as someone who is willing to put advice into practice. If her rehabilitation therapist recommends a new exercise, she gives it a try, no matter how inconvenient it may be.
Her family also notes that she has never suffered from any major internal organ diseases.
Walking Again
Tsuru fractured her right femur at the age of 106 and her left femur at the age of 110. On both occasions, she underwent surgery and worked hard through rehabilitation.
Following her second fracture, she once again completed rehabilitation and returned home. At the age of 111, she is still able to stand and walk using a walker under her family’s supervision.
Tsuru Yamamoto walking with a walker, aged 111, in July 2026. (Courtesy of the family)
A Final Thought
Throughout our interview with Tsuru Yamamoto’s family, one theme emerged again and again: she remained open to trying new things throughout her life. This was reflected in the many hobbies she pursued, the friendships she formed, her travels, and the way she approached rehabilitation and put advice into practice. Even at the age of 111, she continues to read, work through rehabilitation, and enjoy watching Shohei Ohtani on television.
Everyone at LongeviQuest wishes Tsuru Yamamoto continued good health and happiness.
