Supercentenarian Profile

Oiku Hashimoto

Born:

1914-06-25

Ōra, Gunma Prefecture

Japan

Died:

2026-01-11

Ōra, Gunma Prefecture

Japan

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Oiku Hashimoto (Japanese: 橋本オイク) was a Japanese supercentenarian who, at the time of her death, was the oldest living person in Gunma Prefecture.

BIOGRAPHY

Oiku Hashimoto (橋本オイク) was born on 25 June 1914 in Ōra, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. She was a mother of five children and worked in agriculture for much of her life.

From an early age, she developed a passion for hand knitting, creating cardigans, vests, and various small items from yarn. Over the decades, she completed countless pieces, generously gifting them to family, relatives, and neighbors.

She remained physically active and creative well into her later years, continuing to play gateball and knit until the age of 104. Remarkably, even after turning 100, she could still complete a cardigan in about ten days, saying that if she spent even half a day doing nothing, she would feel restless and start knitting again.

In 2014, upon turning 100, she held her first solo exhibition at a local community center, showcasing around 40 of her latest creations. “I’ve always knitted just for fun, so I never imagined holding an exhibition,” she said, expressing both surprise and joy.

Until falling ill with shingles in December 2025, she lived at home with her family. According to them, she was a strong and resilient woman.

As of age 111, she had continued to eat well every day, with a particular fondness for meat. She also credited her habit of eating inago no tsukudani (soy-simmered grasshoppers) with every meal as one of her secrets to longevity, noting that she had never suffered from any major illness.

Oiku Hashimoto passed away on 11 January 2026, at the age of 111 years and 200 days, in Ōra, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. At the time of her passing, she was the oldest living person in Gunma Prefecture.

RECOGNITION

Since 2021, she has been recognized as the oldest living person in Ōra Town, Gunma Prefecture.

Following the passing of 110-year-old Kiyomi Katō of Maebashi on 5 March 2025, Hashimoto became the oldest living person in Gunma 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 23 April 2025.