Shitsui Hakoishi, who was as the world’s oldest active barber in January 2024, passed away in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on 1 September, at the age of 109 years, 295 days.
Shitsui Hakoishi was born in Ouchi Village (now part of the town of Nakagawa), Nasu County, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on 10 November 1916. She was born in a farming family as the fourth of five children.
At the age of 14, she moved to Tokyo to pursue her barber training, and she passed the barber exam in 1936. On 14 January 1939, at the age of 22, she married Jirō Hakoishi and the couple opened a barber shop in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Her daughter, Mitsuko, was born in 1940, while her son, Hidemasa, was born in 1943. Her husband was drafted shortly after his son was born and later died on the battlefield. When she heard the news of her husband’s death, she almost lost hope for life, but with the support of her son and relatives, she regained her positivity. In 1944, she evacuated to Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, and opened her own barber shop.
In January 2024, LongeviQuest recognized Hakoishi as the world’s oldest active barber. In 2025, she was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest female barber. Even more than 70 years after opening her shop, she remained an active barber in her hometown of Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Shitsui Hakoishi during this difficult time.
