BIOGRAPHY

Haru Mori was born in Ayagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on 28 May 1894. She got married at the age of 22. As of 2001, she had seven children, 20 grandchildren, and 40 great-grandchildren. Mori worked as a farmer, cultivating rice until sometime around the age of 76.

At the age of 106 in 2000, Mori was visited by the governor of Kagawa prefecture and awarded congratulatory gifts in celebration of Respect for the Aged day. At that time, she resided with her fourth son and his wife, her great-grandchild and their partner, as well as her great-great-grandchildren in a household that spanned five generations and consisted of seven members. At the time of the visit, she was the oldest person in Kagawa Prefecture. The next year, at the age of 107, Mori received another visit from the governor and received more congratulatory gifts in celebration of Respect for the Aged Day. Other than being hard of hearing and having poor eyesight, she was said to be in excellent health. Her legs and back were strong, and during the day, she went on walks of up to 3 kilometers, either visiting a nearby shrine, or walking around the neighborhood. Unlike most elderly individuals in Japan, she was not enrolled in long-term nursing care insurance.

At some point, Mori entered a nursing home for the elderly. She wasn’t picky when it came to food. When asked about her diet, she said she would eat anything, but that she was particularly fond of rice and soup. She attributed her longevity to eating three meals a day without fail, and keeping her body strong through rice farming.

Haru Mori passed away in the nursing home in Ayagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan, on 15 April 2006, at the age of 111 years, 322 days.

RECOGNITION

On 15 August 2000, following the passing of 107-year-old Kane Miyoshi of Utsumi, she became the oldest living person in Kagawa Prefecture.

At the age of 108, she likely became the oldest person ever to have lived in Kagawa Prefecture.

Upon her passing, Yasu Nishiyama succeeded her as the Prefecture’s oldest living person. On 6 July 2006, Nishiyama surpassed her final age, thereby assuming the title of the oldest person ever in the prefecture.

Her age was validated by the Gerontology Research Group on 21 September 2004. However, in December 2023, members of LongeviQuest Japan determined that she was validated with the wrong date of death – April 16, 2006. The located evidence suggests she passed away a day earlier, on April 15.

ATTRIBUTION

* “手押し車で神社参り 106歳・森さんを知事訪問 敬老の日/香川” – Asahi Shimbun, 16 September 2000

* “111歳県内最高齢 森さん” – Sanyō Shimbun, 17 April 2006

GALLERY