Supercentenarian Profile

Sato Sakashita

Born:

1914-03-20

Hioki, Kagoshima Prefecture

Japan

Died:

✔ Age Certified by LongeviQuest

Sato Sakashita (Japanese: 坂下サト) was a Japanese supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Sato Sakashita was born on 20 March 1914, in Ijūin, Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. She had one son and lived alone in Ijūin until the age of 99. After that, she moved to the Seiryo area of Kagoshima City, where she now lives with her daughter-in-law.

After the passing of her son, Sakashita continued to live with her daughter-in-law, and the two have maintained a close and supportive relationship. This enduring bond reflects the importance she has always placed on family.

At age 110, she contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized due to back pain, but she recovered and has remained upbeat—still welcoming visitors with a hand dance at 111.

On 20 March 2025, she celebrated her 111th birthday. A party was held at the daycare center “Danran,” which she attended three times a week. Surrounded by fellow attendees and staff, she smiled warmly and responded in the local dialect to birthday wishes, saying, “Bappan wa ureshika” (“Grandma is happy”). She expressed her joy with her familiar hand dance and was seen wiping away tears after receiving heartfelt messages and small gifts from attendees.

Sakashita was affectionately known as the “idol” or “mother” of the facility. Staff and fellow attendees described her as cheerful and energetic. Ikuyo Tanaka, the center’s director, shared that Sakashita had a playful and charming personality that would lift the spirits of those around her. One fellow attendee mentioned that she often reminded others about their attire and said, “Take care,” whenever someone got up to move—gestures that reflected her caring nature.

Her family said that she slept more than 10 hours a day and ate in moderation, which might have contributed to her longevity. Although her hearing had declined with age, she actively participated in group activities at the care center. She was described as kind and considerate, yet also as someone who spoke her mind clearly.

Sato Sakashita passed away in Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture, in mid-June 2026, at the age of 112.

RECOGNITION

As of March 2025, she was the oldest living resident of Kagoshima City.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano, Yumi Yamamoto, and Bogdan Solyanikov, and validated by LongeviQuest on 1 April 2025.

On 20 April 2025, following the passing of 111-year-old Masao Kōge, she became the oldest living person in Kagoshima Prefecture. Upon her own passing in June 2026, she was succeeded by Chiyo Ogura.