BIOGRAPHY

Chiba was born in Japan’s Aomori Prefecture on 19 January 1907. At the age of five, she moved with her family to Rikubetsu, Hokkaido Prefecture, where she would live for the rest of her life. In 1921, aged 14, she married Masayoshi Chiba; the couple had 11 children, five sons and six daughters, together.

Chiba worked alongside her husband in farming. In her spare time, she enjoyed stargazing with her father-in-law. She was also a keen gardener, cultivating a vibrant garden on the southern side of her house containing many varieties of colourful flowers. She stated that admiring flowers put her at ease.

Chiba’s favourite television programme was professional sumo wrestling. When a tournament was taking place, she would watch from 3 to 6 o’clock in the afternoon. She later remarked in a 2006 interview, “I don’t have a favorite wrestler, but it’s fun finding out who wins.”

Even approaching her centenarian years, Chiba still visited friends and family in her community, weather permitting. Her 99th birthday was celebrated by 43 relatives from all over Hokkaido. Aged 99, she claimed her secret to longevity was, “Doing the things you like, when you want to.“

Chiba died in Rikubetsu, Hokkaido, on 20 June 2019 at the age of 112 years, 152 days.

RECOGNITION

Chiba’s age was verified by Takeo Inishie, Yu Li, and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), and was validated by the GRG on 26 April 2019.

Following the 14 December 2018 death of Seki Inagaki, Chiba became Hokkaido’s oldest living woman. On 20 January 2019, she became the oldest resident overall in the prefecture after the death of 113-year-old Masazo Nonaka. Upon her own death, these titles passed to Misao Yamashita (1908 – 2019)

ATTRIBUTION

• “千葉さん過去三「百歳祝賀会」”　May 8, 2006 Hokkaido Shimbun evening edition

• “元気に白寿を迎えた 千葉タリさん（99）”　June 6, 2006 Hokkaido Shimbun evening edition

• “道内最高齢112歳”　June 21, 2019 Hokkaido Shimbun Evening Edition

GALLERY