Yukino Matsuoka

BIOGRAPHY

Yukino Matsuoka (松岡雪野) was born in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, Japan, on January 2, 1896. She lived with her eldest son’s family until around the age of 75, after which she moved to Amagasaki City in Hyōgo Prefecture to live with her second son. Even in her 90s, she remained active in the kitchen, often preparing meals, but by the age of 97, her physical strength had declined, and it became a bit difficult for her to get up on her own.

At the age of 99, Matsuoka experienced the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake that struck on January 17, 1995. Her home was partially destroyed, and she injured her right shoulder in a fall while evacuating, resulting in a hospital stay that lasted one year and three months. After being discharged, she moved into a temporary housing unit where her son had taken refuge, and she remained mostly bedridden from that point on.

At the age of 109, she reportedly alternated between staying awake for an entire day and then sleeping for an entire day. Her favorite foods included shrimp tempura and simmered shrimp.

Matsuoka passed away of acute respiratory failure in a hospital in Amagasaki City on September 28, 2006, at the age of 110 years and 269 days. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living person in Amagasaki City and the second-oldest living person in Hyōgo Prefecture, behind Yoshino Ide.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by the Gerontology Research Group on 15 October 2006 and later recognized by LongeviQuest.

ATTRIBUTION

• “［かえりたい明日を待つ被災者］（下）「もういっぺん夢を」（連載）” ― Yomiuri Shimbum, July 1, 1996
• “市内最高齢：１０９歳・松岡さんの長寿祝う　敬老の日を前に、尼崎市長が訪問　／兵庫” ― Mainichi Shimbun, September 6, 2005

GALLERY

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