Chiyo Obara

BIOGRAPHY

Chiyo Obara (小原チヨ) was born in Kaminuma Village (now Tome City), Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, on 15 March 1915. She was the eldest of six siblings and was known as a dependable child. Around 1920, she contracted the Spanish flu.

She moved to Tokyo to pursue a career as a nurse and worked there until she married at the age of 23. Around 1955, she relocated to the former city of Ōmiya, Saitama Prefecture, where her daughter and her family were living. Known for her independent nature, she preferred to take care of herself, and even at the age of 105, she was still reported to cook using an IH stove.

Obara always had a sweet tooth, enjoying treats such as anmitsu and shortcake, and she was also fond of writing haiku. Even at the age of 108, she continued to go shopping and take family trips that included her great-grandchildren.

When asked about the secret to her longevity, she said, “Do not go against the flow of the times; instead, go along with it.”

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano and Marco Wikkerink, and validated by LongeviQuest on 14 September 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “長寿をお祝い　さいたま市長、北区の108歳女性を訪問” ― Saitama Shimbun, 17 September 2023

GALLERY

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