LQ Visit Archives

Yomitan Village, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan – On September 19, 2023, our team had the honor of visiting the younger sister of the world’s oldest pair of siblings in history, the 15th oldest living person in the world, and the second-oldest known living person in Okinawa Prefecture, Mrs. Kikue Taira. In most families, one person reaching the age of 113 would be a unique achievement, but Mrs. Taira’s sister, Kame Ganeko, lived to the age of 114.

Mrs. Taira (106 at the time) with her sister Mrs. Ganeko (111 at the time) in June 2016

Mrs. Taira was presented with two plaques and a bouquet of flowers at Yomitan No Sato, a special nursing home for the elderly. One of the plaques was addressed to her, and one to her older sister, Mrs. Ganeko, who at the time of her death on October 18th 2019, was the second-oldest ever person from Okinawa Prefecture and the seventh-oldest person in the world. The plaques certified the sisters’ status as the world’s oldest ever pair of siblings, with a combined age of over 227 years.

Mrs. Taira holding the plaque honoring her and her sister

LongeviQuest Japan President Yumi Yamamoto had the privilege of carrying out the visit, where she was warmly welcomed by two of Mrs. Taira’s grandchildren, who expressed deep gratitude for the acknowledgement of their grandmother’s incredible achievement. Mrs. Taira is hard of hearing, but when spoken to loudly up close can still understand what is being said. When Yamamoto congratulated her on her achievement, she clearly stated her date of birth, demonstrating an awareness of the celebration being held in her honor.

Mrs. Taira with her granddaughter Naomi Yabiku and LongeviQuest’s Yumi Yamamoto

Mrs. Taira was born on 26th April 1910 (Meiji 43) in Yomitanson, Okinawa Prefecture, the third of four sisters, preceded by her older sister and fellow supercentenarian, Kame Ganeko. Mrs. Taira moved to Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture as a teenager to work as a textile spinner before moving back to Okinawa in her early 20’s where she married Mr. Ryoshin, with whom she had 6 children. She lived on her own for 24 years between the ages of 73 and 97 before entering care after injuring her femur in a fall at home.

Yumi Yamamoto speaking with Kikue Taira

Mrs. Taira was said to be very close to her older sister, whom she supported by visiting the nursing home she lived in well into old age. Her granddaughters described her as a “kind, vibrant person who always had a smile on her face” – a warmth which could be felt when they shared stories of the great joy she took in cooking traditional Okinawan food for her family. A woman of varied interests, Mrs. Taira was an avid knitter in her younger years and enjoyed cultivating flowers in her garden, an activity which she continued until entering care at the age of 97, demonstrating her strong sense of self-reliance and physical capability. From an early age, she had a passion for food, which the nursing staff informed us continues to this day. Her grandchildren believe her hearty appetite has likely contributed to her longevity.

Mrs. Taira posing with her granddaughter Naomi Yabiku and LongeviQuest representatives Yumi Yamamoto and Jack Steer

We deeply appreciate and thank to the Kikue Taira’s family and nursing home staff who received LongeviQuest team very warmly and our photographer Mr. Nomoto Shunki for the beautiful photos.

On August 20, 2023, the LongeviQuest team had the privilege of visiting Mr. Efraín Antonio Ríos García, who holds the distinction of being the world’s second-oldest living man and the oldest living individual in Colombia.

Representatives from LongeviQuest América, Fabrizio Villatoro from Mexico, and Santiago García Medina from Canada, had the honor of visiting Mr. Ríos García in his hometown of Itagüí, Antioquia, Colombia. Their visit was warmly welcomed by the kind family of the oldest living Colombian, with over 20 family members in attendance. A representative from the city of Itagüí also joined the gathering to pay respects to the nation’s most senior resident. During this significant occasion, our team presented Mr. Ríos García with two certificates, acknowledging his status as the second-oldest living man globally and the oldest living person in Colombia, and also a bouquet of flowers. The representative of LongeviQuest America; Mr. Villatoro spoke directly with Mr. Ríos García, who expressed that he was very glad that our team was visiting him and Mr. García Medina asked him about his youth and he even remembered the full names of his parents, demonstrating the good memory he still has. Efraín drank champagne, brandy and coke to celebrate such an occasion, since he felt very glad to be one of the oldest living people in the world.

Mr. Ríos García was born on April 4, 1910, in the countryside of Fredonia, Antioquia Department, Colombia. He married Herminia Uribe, with whom he had 18 children. Among those present during the visit were five of his children, including Mrs. Nidia Ríos Uribe, who played a pivotal role in facilitating the visit and collaborated closely with the LongeviQuest team to officially validate her father’s remarkable age. Mr. Ríos García occasionally enjoys a glass of aguardiente, a tradition that, according to his family, lifts his spirits during moments of unease. Throughout the visit, each of his children delivered heartfelt speeches, expressing gratitude for their father’s longevity and celebrating the extraordinary journey of his life.

His family claims that he is the nucleus of the family. His eldest granddaughter expressed that “he is a very good person, very loving, not envious at all and who has always acted in a good deed, and possibly this has helped him live longer.”

The trait of longevity runs in his family; his older brother Francisco passed away in 2011 at the age of 106. Just days before the visit, on August 15, Mr. Ríos García surpassed the final age of Mr. Eusebio Quintero López, solidifying his position as the oldest Colombian man with validated age credentials, as confirmed by an expert organization specializing in age verification. Not only is he the second-oldest living man worldwide, trailing only 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez Mora of Venezuela, but he also holds the distinction of being the second-oldest verified living person in Latin America and stands among the 20 oldest living individuals globally.

LongeviQuest extends heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Ríos García’s family for their warm hospitality and graciousness in opening their home to our representatives. It was a privilege for all of us. We join in wishing Mr. Ríos García continued health and happiness, eagerly anticipating the celebration of his 114th birthday.

The kind family of Mr. Ríos García expressed their gratitude to our team for the visit by giving them as gift a book about his life as well as various photos from different stages of his life.

100th birthday celebration, with his wife Herminia

As a monk, on 4 November 1995

On his 100th birthday, in a local newspaper

LongeviQuest deeply thanks and appreciates Mr. Ríos García’s family to give LongeviQuest permission to visit him, particularly his daughter Nidia Ríos Uribe.

We deeply appreciate and thank to our photographer Mrs. Solángel (@docusol_) for the beautiful photos.

Daniel Germán Delgado, en representación de LongeviQuest-España, visitó al Sr. Jesús Redondo Bermejo en la víspera de su 108 cumpleaños, el 2 de junio de 2023. Germán Delgado estuvo presente en su residencia de ancianos “El Cuartillo” en la provincia de Cáceres, comunidad autónoma de Extremadura.

Redondo Bermejo nació el 2 de junio de 1915 en Cañaveral, Cáceres, Extremadura, España.

Según la familia del señor Redondo Bermejo, él está muy bien de salud, su memoria está “perfecta” y podía hablar con mucha naturalidad, él estaba muy consciente y activo mentalmente. Además, es muy adelantado a su tiempo, y su escucha era muy buena y podía leer y ver la televisión sin necesidad de lentes. A sus 108 años, Jesús solo toma dos pastillas, y dedicó su vida a los números. Se convirtió en contable de su ayuntamiento a los 19 años y allí trabajo hasta su jubilación, en 1976.

Con su bastón se paseaba todos los días a por su periódico; vive tranquilo, sin prisas y disfrutando de la vida. Un hombre trabajador y honesto, que sigue muy bien en sus facultades.

La hija más joven (77 años) del Sr. Redondo estuvo acompañando a nuestro investigador Germán, y estuvo muy agradecida y contenta por la visita y los obsequios por parte de LongeviQuest, el mismo Sr. Jesús Redondo expresó a Germán: “Os agradezco las molestias que os habéis tomado el día de mi cumpleaños”. El equipo de LongeviQuest agradece y aprecia profundamente a la familia del Sr. Redondo por habernos permitido visitarlo y el gesto de recibirnos.

Mientras que el Sr. Redondo todavía no está validado por la Comisión de Validación Global de LongeviQuest, su caso está confirmado, y su validación futura será concluida satisfactoriamente.

On June 6, 2023, Director of LongeviQuest Japan, Mrs. Yumi Yamamoto, had the honor to interview Mrs. Shitsui Hakoishi, a 106-year-old active barber who lives in Tochigi Prefecture, about the secrets of her healthy longevity.

Mrs. Shitsui Hakoishi (photo taken on June 6, 2023)

Mrs. Shitsui Hakoishi is known for her role as a torchbearer for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Even now, at the age of 106, she still lifts the torch lightly to the height of her chest and recreates the pose she was in back then.

Hakoishi-san holds a 1.2 kg torch at chest height (photo taken June 6, 2023)

Mrs. Hakoishi, now 106, has a daily routine of about one hour of self-styled exercises, acupressure lymphatic massage, and walking.

She started this routine at the age of 70 to prevent aging. She massages pressure points in her ears and temple, massages her toes, and does flexibility exercises to relax her whole body, and then walks 500 steps around her home, shouting “1, 2, 3…” as she walks.

Hakoishi-san doing self-style exercises (photo taken June 6, 2023)

Shitsui Hakoishi was born on November 10, 1916, as the third daughter of five siblings born in a farmhouse in the village of Ouchi, Nasu County, Tochigi Prefecture (now the town of Nakagawa).

Because she was too small to ride a bicycle, she was unable to attend junior high school about 8 km from her home after graduating from elementary school, and decided to pursue a career as a barber on her father’s advice.

A neighbor introduced her to a barbershop in Tokyo, where she was trained as a live-in apprentice. At the age of 14, she left her parents for Tokyo.

In 1936, she passed the barber’s exam, and at the age of 22, she married another barber with whom she opened a store in Shinjuku, but it was destroyed in an air raid during the war.

The most painful experience in her life to date was the loss of her husband in World War II.

There was a time when she lost hope for life, but in 1953, she opened a barbershop again in her hometown in Tochigi, and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the opening.

Her well-developed arm muscles are visible while she cuts the hair of LongeviQuest Japan President Yumi Yamamoto (photo taken June 6, 2023)

When the store was at its busiest, customers lined up from 6:00 a.m. and stood at the store until around 10:00 p.m.

When the store opened in 1953, there was no running water or gas, so Hidemasa, the eldest son, who was in elementary school at the time, helped with fetching water for washing hair and boiling water with firewood, and the mother and son worked together to run the store.

Now, at the age of 106, she gives about three haircuts a month, mainly to her longtime customers.

Mrs. Hakoishi, who has remained active in the business, moves the scissors with a nimble hand, making her 106 years of age seem almost insignificant.

Mrs. Hakoishi was honored as the oldest active barber in the country in January 2023.

Standing and bending forward, Hakoishi-san aligns her slippers (photo taken June 6, 2023)

With the strength and flexibility she has developed through years of barbering and daily exercises, she is able to bend forward while standing without losing her position.

At 106 years of age, she uses a day service at a senior citizen welfare facility once a month, but she does not require daily assistance or nursing care, and is a model of healthy longevity.

The health tea made from wild herbs, which her eldest son, Hidemasa, has researched and created, is one of the secrets of her healthy longevity.

On 6 June 2023, aged 106, along with the director of LongeviQuest Japan, Mrs. Yumi Yamamoto.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Hakoishi-san for sharing many valuable stories with us, and to her oldest son and his wife for graciously accepting our visit.