BIOGRAPHY

Hana Shindō was born in Iruma City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan on October 29, 1901, into a farming family. As a young adult, she spent much of her time weaving, which she would do from the early morning hours until late at night. She got married at the age of 29, moved to Tokorozawa, and raised four children (three sons and one daughter) while working with her husband as a tailor. She also worked at a fishing tackle shop.

At the age of 98, she underwent pacemaker surgery. When she was 105, she fell and suffered a compression fracture; as she was she worried that a lengthy hospital stay would prevent her from walking again, she chose to recuperate at her home instead, opting to crawl to the bathroom as she regained her strength. Her family described her as a patient, competitive and strong-willed woman. All four of her children were alive when she was 110 years old, and she was reported to be able to stand and walk on her own. Until she was 112 years old, she held the handrail of her bed and did step exercise 100 times a day, and exercised for 30 minutes three times a week. Her routine was to sit up straight and pray to the sun before breakfast each day. When asked the secret of her longevity, she said, “I didn’t try to live long, it just came naturally.”

Hana Shindō passed away on June 20, 2014, at the age of 112 years, 234 days. She was succeeded as Saitama Prefecture’s oldest person by Sakari Momoi.

RECOGNITION

On 13 November 2013, Hana Shindō was visited by the mayor of Tokorozawa, and was publicly congratulated as the oldest living person in her prefecture.

ATTRIBUTION

* “県内最高齢：１１０歳、長生きの秘訣は会話－－所沢の新藤ハナさん／埼玉” – Mainichi Shimbun, 17 September 2012
* “埼県内最高齢　112歳女性が死去玉” – Sankei Shimbun, 21 June 2014

* “県内最高齢者（新藤 ハナさん）の訃報について” – Saitama Prefecture Press Release, 20 June 2014

GALLERY