BIOGRAPHY

Satayo Kawamura was born in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, on 19 May 1909, as the youngest child in a large family. Her older brother and his wife took over the family inn, which remained standing into the 21st century during Satayo’s lifetime. She graduated from a girls’ school and married Motoji at the age of 21. The couple later went on to have five children. On 22 September 1930, at the age of 21, she immigrated to Brazil aboard the immigrant ship Buenos Aires Maru, accompanied by Motoji’s sister and her husband.

After arriving in Brazil on 12 November of that same year, she settled in various locations across São Paulo State, including Atibaia and Tabatinga, where she worked in cotton and silkworm farming. Although she initially planned to return to Japan after five years, circumstances prevented her from doing so. In the early 1950s, she owned a farm in Araraquara for about a decade, where she cultivated vegetables. In 1962, when her third son, Minoru, entered university, the family relocated to São Paulo. Two years later, her husband passed away at the age of 60. Alongside her responsibilities as a housewife, she also worked at a Mercadon store. Her second son described her as a dedicated and hardworking mother who cared deeply for her children. She diligently saved money and ensured they had clothing and other necessities.

Even after turning 100, she remained remarkably active, continuing to read the newspaper, knit, and handle as much housework as possible on her own. She lived in a house with stairs, which she could navigate with ease. When asked about her favorite foods, she mentioned, “Miso soup, natto, and I often drank Yakult.” She also enjoyed fermented foods and lactic acid beverages. Her healthy lifestyle included eating only until she was about 80% full and staying well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Although walking became difficult by the time she reached 108, she remained in good health and even took a trip to Bertioga Beach in July 2017. At the time, she had nine grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren..

Kawamura passed away from pneumonia at 11:40 a.m. on 9 December 2021, at Refort Hospital in São Paulo’s Liberdade district, at the age of 112 years, 204 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Fabrizio Villatoro and Stefan Maglov and was listed as pending validation by the Latin American Supercentenarians (LAS) as of 19 December 2021.

ATTRIBUTION

* “１０８歳、川村さたよさん＝現在のコロニア最高齢か＝発酵食品と腹八分が秘訣？” – Nikkey Shimbun, 19 August 2017

* “■訃報■コロニア最高齢１１２歳、川村さたよさん” – Nikkey Shimbun, 17 December 2021

GALLERY