BIOGRAPHY

Fusako Hasegawa was born in Japan on 23 May 1905. A devout Catholic, she celebrated her 100th birthday in May 2005 with a thanksgiving Mass at the Catholic Takatori Church in Kobe.

At some point, she moved into a nursing home in Kobe City. As the oldest resident of Suma Ward, Kobe City, she had been visited by the ward mayor and other officials since 2013. At the age of 110, she told the mayor that she lived each day with gratitude for everything.

In the nursing home’s newsletter, she shared that the secret to her longevity was “not seeing difficulties as difficulties, but being grateful for them,” and she expressed her appreciation to those around her daily. Although she used a wheelchair, she remained in good health and enjoyed a wide variety of foods. She also loved watching television programs about regional cuisines from across Japan.

Fusako Hasegawa passed away on 14 February 2016, at the age of 110 years, 267 days.

RECOGNITION

After the passing of Mitsue Taiji of Sasayama on 26 January 2016, Hasegawa became the oldest person in Hyōgo Prefecture, at the age of 110 years, 248 days. She held the title for 19 days, until her own passing. She was succeeded by Kinue Yoshida.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 12 September 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* Takatori Catholic Church

* “神戸の長谷川さん、兵庫県内最高齢に” – Kobe Shimbun, 29 January 2016

* “県内最高齢：110歳女性が死去” – Kobe Shimbun, 25 February 2016

GALLERY