BIOGRAPHY

Aki Hatano was born in Japan on 28 September 1910. At some point, she married the eldest son of a farming family, who was also her cousin. They had a total of seven children. The first four either died during childbirth or did not survive their first year; the remaining three survived into adulthood.

Before World War II, Hatano and her husband were very wealthy. They owned numerous farming fields and some mountain land, but these were confiscated by the government during post-war agrarian reforms. It was around this time that they lost their first three children.

Just before turning 100, Hatano broke her leg. Despite this, meaning she spent much of her time in bed, she was said to have remained very energetic and loved to talk. Before breaking her leg at the age of 99, Hatano had never been seriously ill or injured. At some point, Hatano moved into a nursing home for the elderly. She was confirmed to be residing in the home by the age of 109. By the age of 110, she spent most of her time in a wheelchair or in bed.

Aki Hatano passed away in Katori City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on 25 November 2021, at the age of 111 years, 58 days.

RECOGNITION

In September 2010, Hatano received a letter congratulating her on turning 100 from then-Prime Minister Naoto Kan, in celebration of Respect for the Aged Day.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yu Li, Yumi Yamamoto, and Jack Steer, and validated by LongeviQuest on 8 December 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

* “祝100歳” – Katori City Social Council Newsletter, September 2010 issue

* Family members’ social media posts

GALLERY