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Herta Gontz of Dortmund, Germany, Passes Away One Day Before Her 110th Birthday
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BIOGRAPHY

Matsuzaki was born in Kokonoe, Ōita Prefecture, Japan, on 18 April 1913. She was the eldest daughter, with one older brother and around seven younger siblings. Her father served as an elementary school principal. Upon graduating from elementary school, she attended Iwata Girls’ School (now known as Iwata Junior and Senior High School) in Ōita City, where she resided in a dormitory. Upon finishing her education at the girls’ school, she spent several years working as an assistant at a post office where some of her relatives were employed.

Around the age of 30, she got married. She raised a total of seven children. Upon her marriage, she moved to Oguni Town in Kumamoto Prefecture, dedicating herself to household duties and childcare. As each of her seven children became independent and settled in various cities across the country, she embarked on extensive travels to visit them, exploring nearly every corner of Japan.

Matsuzaki underwent cataract surgery in her 70s, but she has never experienced any internal organ diseases. Although she has had several fractures in her shoulder and wrist, she always made a full recovery. Until the age of 90, her life centered around caring for her husband, who was nine years her senior, and managing the household. The town of Oguni in Kumamoto Prefecture, where she resided, was a renowned tourist destination known for its hot springs. Every week, her family would take her and her husband to the local hot springs. After her husband’s passing, she moved to Kumamoto City, where her youngest daughter lived. Subsequently, she embraced new interests, including pencil painting and composing haikus. As part of her daily routine, she would read newspapers. As a centenarian, she took a plane trip to Okinawa to meet her newly born great-grandchild.

In the summer of 2023, she was hospitalized after a fall while brushing her teeth, which resulted in several stitches on her head. Her leg was bruised as well, causing her to be immobile until the day of her discharge. However, upon returning to her nursing home and undergoing rehabilitation, she successfully regained her mobility and was soon able to walk again. In September 2023, she met the governor of Kumamoto Prefecture.

Matsuzaki currently lives in a nursing home in Kumamoto City. She can visit her home every few months, and she celebrated New Year’s Day in 2023 with her family at her residence in Kumamoto City. Her cognitive abilities remain sharp, and she actively engages in kanji and math drills at her nursing home, in addition to playing Othello games.

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Nature Made

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RECOGNITION

On 25 January 2023, following the death of 113-year-old Shinobu Hayashi, she became the oldest living person in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yumi Yamamoto, Takehiro Shibuya, and Yoko Shimojo, and validated by LongeviQuest on 5 November 2023.

ATTRIBUTION

(All the information regarding Miho Matsuzaki’s biography was gathered through interviews conducted by LongeviQuest with her family.)

* Kumamoto City Press Release, 20 September 2023

* ”県内最高齢110歳・松崎さんの長寿祝う 副知事とくまモン” – Yomiuri Shimbun, September 30, 2023

* ”ユーモアたっぷりで明るい 最高齢110歳の女性をくまモンがお祝い” – TV Kumamoto, 3 October 2023

GALLERY

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