Hatsu Satō

BIOGRAPHY

Hatsu Satō was born in the former village of Akebono, Akita Prefecture, Japan (now part of Hachimantai, Kazuno City), on 1 March 1906. At 20, she married a farmer from the former town of Hanawa, and together they had one son and four daughters. When her husband passed away at 35 due to illness, Satō supported her family by farming rice and making straw crafts, raising her children on her own. She continued farming until age 86, when the hoe became too heavy for her to lift.

Even at 100, Satō remained active, preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner for her family and helping with the family asparagus business. She also continued to weed the yard and answer phone calls until the age of 103. At 105, she still washed dishes and could bathe independently. She enjoyed watching baseball and sumo on TV, singing, and kept a consistent routine, going to bed at 8:30 p.m. At 110, she would wake up at 6 a.m. with her family and manage most tasks independently, including cleaning. She attributed her longevity to “eating only until 80% full and not overeating,” with her favorite food being meat.

Hatsu Satō passed away at home on 2 November 2016, at the age of 110 years, 246 days, due to kidney failure. Remarkably, until the day before her death, she had been eating the same meals as her family and living her usual life.

RECOGNITION

After the passing of Yoshi Ōbuchi on 16 December 2015, Satō became the oldest living person in Akita Prefecture.

Upon her passing, Miyo Hatakeyama succeeded her as the oldest living person in Akita Prefecture.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano, and validated by LongeviQuest on 31 October 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “今月のお元気さん　県内最高齢　109歳のお元気さん” – Kazuno City Newsletter, March 2006

* “＜老いと向き合う＞あきた高齢化率全国一（8）[長寿の時代] 充実した日々が大切” – Akita Sakigake Shinpo, 5 November 2011

* “県内最高齢、鹿角の佐藤さん死去　110歳で” – Akita Sakigake Shinpo, 3 November 2016

GALLERY

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