BIOGRAPHY

Fumii Takeda was born in Japan on 28 May 1909. She reportedly played tennis at an all-girls high school and was very active. At some point, she got married and devoted herself to farming and raising chickens.

On her 100th birthday, the mayor of her town visited her at home to celebrate. Even after turning 100, she still remembered stories of her childhood and the hardships of World War II. Her favorite pastime was playing the harmonica, and she also enjoyed listening to the radio, which allowed her to keep up with what was going on in society.

Although she broke her femur at the age of 102, she reportedly recovered naturally. She had been active for many years working in the fields, and even at the age of 106, she still had strong core muscles. She was able to get up from a lying position using only her abdominal muscles without the use of her hands or any assistive devices. At 108, she could still sit on the floor in the traditional Japanese sitting position, Seiza.

Takeda passed away on 8 February 2020, at the age of 110 years, 256 days.

RECOGNITION

On 27 August 2019, following the passing of 115-year-old Shin Matsushita, she became the oldest (known) living person in Miyagi Prefecture.

Following her passing, Kineko Takahashi succeeded her as the Prefecture’s oldest living resident.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yu Li, Ryohei Asano, and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 3 July 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “いつまでもお元気で 武田ふみいさん百歳に” – Murata Town Public Relations Paper, July 2009 issue

* “おしらせばん” – Murata Town Public Relations Paper, March 2020 issue

GALLERY