Takenaka was born in Japan on 18 November 1911. She continued to farm until her 80s, cultivating rice and vegetables. Throughout her entire life, she enjoyed good health without major illness and attributed her longevity to eating (especially snacks).
On the day Takenaka was celebrated as the oldest person in the prefecture, her sister, who was 14 years her junior, commented, “From a young age, she worked tirelessly to support our family. She’s like a mother to me.”
Takenaka passed away of natural causes in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, Japan, on 14 August 2022, at the age of 110 years, 269 days.
On 7 August 2021, following the passing of 112-year-old Natsuko Sakai, she became the oldest living person in Tottori Prefecture.
Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yu Li, Ryohei Asano, and Marco Wikkerink, and validated by LongeviQuest on 25 March 2024.
* “県内の110歳以上の高齢者632人 平成元年以降で最多” – NHK, 17 September 2021
* “鳥取県内最高齢 竹中さんが死去 ” – Nihonkai Shimbun, 17 August 2022