BIOGRAPHY

Matsu Adachi was born in Yonezawa City Yamagata Prefecture, Japan on January 1, 1903. Her family moved to Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture when her father received a job transfer during her youth. She got married at the age of 21 and had four children; three girls and one boy.

During World War II, Adachi and her husband evacuated to Miyagi Prefecture. When the war ended, they moved back home to Mito City and opened a pancake shop. Her hobby was growing flowers and vegetables, an activity which she continued until the age of 100.

In September 2012, at the age of 109, Adachi was visited by city officials and awarded with a congratulatory letter and gifts in celebration of Respect for the Aged Day at the daycare center she routinely used at the time. She is reported as saying, “I don’t know when I got this old. Before I knew it, I was 109.”When asked about the secret to longevity, she replied “They say you shouldn’t eat salty things, but I eat salted fish and pickled vegetables for breakfast.” At some point, Adachi moved into a nursing home for the elderly and stayed there until October 2014 when she was hospitalized.

Matsu Adachi passed away in hospital in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan on November 4, 2014 at the age of 111 years, 307 days.

RECOGNITION

Adachi became the oldest person in Ibaraki Prefecture on April 12, 2012. Her age was validated by the Gerontology Research Group on 28 September 2013.

ATTRIBUTION

＊“県内最高齢の109歳、足立まつさん” －　Mito City Public Relations, October 10, 2012 issue
https://warp.ndl.go.jp/collections/content/info:ndljp/pid/12306468/www.city.mito.lg.jp/001666/002671/p009069_d/fil/011.pdf
＊”県内最高齢 祝 109歳 足立さんに水戸市長が褒状” September 4, 2012, Tokyo Shimbun, Ibaraki edition morning edition, page 22
＊“県内最高齢111歳女性死去 水戸の足立さん” – Ibaraki Shimbun, November 7, 2014
＊“109歳の足立さん祝う 県内最高齢者を訪問 水戸市長” Ibaraki Shimbum, September 4, 2012

GALLERY