Setsu Sugahara (菅原節)

BIOGRAPHY

Setsu Sugahara (菅原節) was born in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, on 22 March 1914.

At the age of 17, she moved to Hokkaido, where her older brother was living, and through his introduction she married a man who worked for the Ministry of Communications. During the war, the couple lived in Taipei. After the war, she returned to Japan with her five sons and resettled in Kumamoto, her husband’s hometown. Her youngest child was born after the war.

While raising her children, Sugahara enjoyed shopping at department stores and wearing kimono. She often walked to do her shopping, even over relatively long distances, and her family believes that this habit helped maintain her leg strength.

Sugahara lived with her fourth son’s family in Kumamoto City until the age of 102. In April 2016, she was affected by the magnitude 6.5 earthquakes that struck Kumamoto on April 14 and 16. After spending some time in evacuation shelters, she moved to Ozu Town, where her youngest daughter lives. She later entered a nursing home in Ozu Town.

She was skilled with her hands, and while living with her eldest son’s family, she enjoyed origami crafts as a hobby, creating items such as cranes and umbrellas. She also taught these techniques at a seniors’ circle. In addition, she was fond of printed materials, and reading books and literary magazines was part of her daily routine.

Throughout her life, she did not experience any serious illnesses or injuries. Even after contracting COVID-19, she recovered quickly. In March 2025, after her 111th birthday, she developed a fever, and doctors advised her family to prepare for the worst. However, she recovered within a week. She was able to walk independently until reaching the age of 111, but after recovering from the fever, she was no longer able to move her legs as before and currently uses a wheelchair.

Her family believes that her longevity is supported in large part by the nursing home where she has been cared for since the age of 102 and by the attentive service of the care staff. At the age of 111, she is still able to eat meals on her own without assistance.

Following the death of Miho Matsuzaki (112) in Kumamoto City on 8 December 2025, Setsu Sugahara became the oldest known living person in Kumamoto Prefecture.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Ōzu Town, Yumi Yamamoto, Ryohei Asano, Marco Wikkerink and Takehiro Shibuya, and validated by LongeviQuest on 21 December 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

All information regarding Setsu Sugahara (菅原節)’s biography was gathered through interviews conducted by LongeviQuest with her family.

GALLERY

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