BIOGRAPHY

Tsunako Takeuchi was born in Fujikoto Village (now Fujisato town), Yamamoto District, Akita Prefecture, Japan, on 13 January 1911, as the eighth of nine children. Her parents ran a soy sauce and miso brewing business. She graduated from Noshiro Girls’ High School (currently Noshiro Kita High School) in 1928, and the following year, she married the prefectural revenue officer. The couple had a son, and she devoted herself to being a housewife.

On her 100th birthday, she received a congratulatory letter from Noshiro City, and when asked about her secret to longevity, she answered, “Living happily with my son and his wife.” She had loved fashion since she was a young woman, and she used mascara on her eyelashes when applying makeup until she was around 100 years old. Until she was 108 years old, she was an avid reader, and the staff at the nursing home referred to her as the “Modern Girl of Beauty and Brains.” After she turned 100 years old, she was frequently hospitalized with hemorrhagic shock and pneumonia, but she recovered each time. Then, at age 107, when she fell and broke her leg, she decided to undergo surgery herself. She was able to feed herself until around her 110th birthday, and she attended her Respect for the Aged Day celebration in September 2021 wearing makeup. Her son passed away two months after her 110th birthday.

Takeuchi passed away in Noshiro, Akita Prefecture, Japan, on 5 October 2021, at the age of 110 years, 265 days.

RECOGNITION

At the time of her passing, she was the third-oldest living person in Akita Prefecture, after Mitsuno Sato and Yūko Satō.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yu Li, and validated by LongeviQuest on 10 April 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “能代市の竹内さん110歳 家族や施設関係者らが「皇寿」祝福” – Hokuu Shimposha, 16 September 2021

* “110歳竹内さん死去 能代市の最高齢” – Akita Sakigake Shimpo, 17 October 2021

GALLERY