Mitsuko Uesugi was born in Nobeoka Town (now Nobeoka City), Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, on 20 August 1907. In her teens, she attended a vocational school for Japanese dressmaking and learned the basic techniques of sewing. She married at the age of 19 and was blessed with two sons and five daughters. The couple ran a car dealership together, but her husband suddenly passed away at the age of 49. At the age of 43, she took over the company as president, managing about 70 employees while raising her children. She served as chairman until the age of 105 but retired as active president in her 70s and took up embroidery as a hobby.
Originally fond of sewing, she attended an embroidery class at the city’s culture center only once and then continued learning on her own with help from staff at a handicraft store. She also enjoyed traveling abroad until she was about 90 years old and expressed her memories of the countries she visited through her embroidery works.
At the age of 94, she moved to Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where her second son lived, and entered an elderly care home there. From this time on, she began to seriously pursue embroidery, winning many awards at prefectural exhibitions, holding solo exhibitions, and being featured on popular NHK programs. She was known for giving humorous advice to celebrities, often saying, “I recommend that you get married at least once.”
After breaking her femur at the age of 107, her physical strength declined, and her production time decreased, but she still worked on her embroidery for about four hours a day. She had no other major medical issues, although she had undergone cataract surgery. Her favorite food was meat, and she attributed her longevity to “doing what you love steadily.” She lived a regular life, waking up around 6 am and going to bed around 9 pm.
Uesugi passed away of natural causes on 30 April 2018, at the age of 110 years, 253 days.
On 5 February 2018, following the passing of Kuni Onose of Hitachiōmiya City, she became the oldest living person in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Following her passing, Shina Seki succeeded her as the oldest living resident of Ibaraki Prefecture.
Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 11 July 2024.
* Ishioka City Machikado Information Center
* “110歳、魂込めた一針 石岡の故上杉ミツ子さん 人柄しのぶ刺しゅう展 家族や写真家が企画” – Ibaraki Shimbun, 18 May 2023