BIOGRAPHY

Teru Tanaka was born in Akō, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on 6 June 1907. After marrying, she moved to Osaka, where she had two sons and two daughters. Sadly, her eldest son and daughter passed away before her. Following the death of her eldest son, who had lived with her, Tanaka relocated from Osaka to Numazu City in Shizuoka Prefecture in 2009, at the age of 102, to be closer to her second son. She then entered a nursing home in Numazu.

Tanaka had a lifelong love for Western food and coffee. Until she was 108, she would occasionally go out from her nursing home to enjoy tonkatsu at local restaurants.

On 4 September 2017, the mayor of Numazu City visited her to honor her remarkable longevity. Although Tanaka could no longer walk at 110, she continued to enjoy her meals.

Teru Tanaka passed away peacefully on 16 December 2017, at the age of 110 years, 193 days, due to ischemic heart disease, at a nursing home in Numazu City.

RECOGNITION

On 27 July 2017, following the passing of 110-year-old Fumi Eto of Ito City, Tanaka became the oldest living person in Shizuoka Prefecture. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Hatsue Tachikawa.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano, and validated by LongeviQuest on 31 October 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “県内最高齢110歳田中さんに花束” – Shizuoka Shimbun, 5 September 2017

* “県内最高齢：110歳、田中テルさんに花束　敬老の日前に沼津市長/静岡” – Mainichi Shimbun, 5 September 2017

GALLERY