BIOGRAPHY

Masae Asaishi was born in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on 9 August 1913. Her family home was reportedly destroyed in the Great Hachinohe Fire on 16 May 1924, which damaged 1,393 houses. After the fire, her father became a monk.

In 1930, Masae enrolled in the Tokyo Music School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) as a student at the 4th Temporary Teacher Training School. After graduating, she began teaching music at Wakayama Prefectural Kokawa Girls’ High School (now Kokawa High School) in 1933. In 1936, she transferred to Aomori Prefectural Hirosaki Girls’ High School (now Hachinohe East High School). During her teaching career, she also contributed to composing school songs.

At the age of 23, she married a lawyer 14 years her senior (who later passed away at the age of 99), and they had five children together. During World War II, she evacuated to a temple in Kamakura, where her father, a Buddhist monk, resided. It was there that she gave birth to her daughter. In the 1960s, she returned to Hachinohe and became actively involved in local activities, including serving as a PTA officer at her children’s school.

In September 2013, the mayor of Hachinohe City visited her at home to celebrate her 100th birthday. Reflecting on her milestone, she remarked, “I never thought I would live to be 100 years old. I owe my longevity to my family.”

In March 2022, she moved into a nursing home. In an interview for Respect for the Aged Day in September 2024, her son Koji, now 83, described her as having a gentle personality, noting, “She has never scolded me.” He also mentioned that she remains healthy, with no chronic illnesses. Masae herself shared that her favorite food is beef steak and, at 111 years old, she still enjoys all her meals, including porridge, and remembers the names of her 11 grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

In September 2024, she was reported as the oldest living person in Aomori Prefecture.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano, Yumi Yamamoto, and Marco Wikkerink, and validated by LongeviQuest on 4 October 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “東京音楽学校・第四臨時教員養成所一覧 昭和５至６年” – Tokyo Music School, 1930

* “東京音楽学校・第四臨時教員養成所一覧 昭和６至７年” – Tokyo Music School, 1931

* “官報 1932年05月11日” – Ministry of Finance Japan

* “職員録 昭和８年７月１日現在” – Cabinet Office Japan

* “官報 1933年11月20日” – Ministry of Finance Japan

* “100歳浅石さんに市が祝い金贈呈” – To-o Nippo, 12 October 2013

* “「いつの間にか111歳に」青森県内最高齢女性・浅石まさ江さん（八戸市）” – To-o Nippo, 16 September 2024

GALLERY