Ai Maeda was born in Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, on 27 March 1912. In her youth, she moved to Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where she began studying Japanese dance. She became a Natori (master) around the age of 20, and by the age of 80, she was teaching Japanese dance to her students.

At the age of 80, she returned to Aomori City and began attending a day care center in the city, eventually becoming a resident in 1998. Her niece attributes her longevity to her dedication to maintaining a healthy body through her love for Japanese dance and playing the shamisen, which engages every muscle in her body. She further describes Maeda as “a woman of integrity who never complains.”