Chitose Awata was born in the town of Ogōri, Yoshiki District (now part of Yamaguchi City), Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, on 20 August 1913, as the second of three children. Her father ran a shop selling geta, traditional Japanese footwear. Growing up with an older brother and a younger brother, she was active from her childhood. At her elementary school graduation in March 1926, she received an award for her good health, good behavior, and excellent grades throughout her school years. She learned Japanese sewing skills at a girls’ school. When she was around 20, she married a agricultural extension instructor. The couple had three children.

After her husband’s passing around ten years into their marriage, she assumed control of her late husband’s farming business and discovered her passion for agriculture. Recognizing her achievements, she was honored with the award for Best Wheat Producer in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Following World War II, she took in her orphaned niece and nephew, raising them alongside her own three children, thereby overseeing the upbringing of a total of five children. She was passionate about her children’s education and respected and supported their desire to learn, influenced by her own experience of having her childhood dream of becoming a teacher thwarted. In addition to farming, she actively participated in her children’s school PTA and the local women’s association, sewed clothes and kimonos for her neighbours, and enjoyed interacting with her numerous friends. Additionally, she achieved a national qualification as an acupuncturist at the age of 34 and was engaged in active practice. In her 50s and 60s, she devoted herself to caring for her grandchildren, maintaining an energetic and involved lifestyle.

In her 70s, she would travel by bullet train to visit her daughter’s house in Tokyo regularly. During these visits, lasting two to three months, her sociable and cheerful nature led her to forge numerous friendships in Tokyo. Until around the age of 96, she lived with her eldest son and his wife, leading an independent life. Engaging in fieldwork, handling household chores like laundry, and pursuing a side job making kelp rolls, she remained active. At 96, she relocated to a care house (a housing complex for the elderly) in Yamaguchi City. Until the age of 107, she resided there semi-independently, requiring minimal care services, primarily for bathing assistance. When she was 103, her daughter Nobuko, residing in Saitama, moved into an adjoining room in the care house to provide assistance, allowing the two to spend each day together. Her daily routine included waking up in the morning, washing her face, and copying sutras before breakfast. Before bedtime, she enjoyed about 20ml of plum wine or wine from a small Japanese sake cup called an ochoko. This routine persisted until she reached the age of 107. Awata has led and continues to lead a fulfilling life, as evidenced by her favorite phrase, “I have no regrets in life.” At the age of 107, she required a wheelchair and was relocated to a nursing home on the same property for better care. Since then, the coronavirus pandemic visitation restrictions have limited her interactions with family, but her daughter sends her a snack and a letter once every three days.

Awata attributes her health to the Japanese custom of kanpu masatsu (乾布摩擦), where one rubs a dry towel along the body to create warmth and friction. She practiced this with her father and brothers during her childhood, especially during the cold winter mornings, exercising her body by rubbing the skin of her back with a dry towel after washing her face with well water. As a result of this routine, she believes that she developed a strong body and was less susceptible to catching colds. She also attributes her longevity to her first name, which means “thousand years” in kanji. She expressed gratitude to her father for choosing such a meaningful name.

In September 2023, she expressed, “I’m a lucky person to be able to meet my 83-year-old daughter even though I’m over 110 years old.” Currently residing in a welfare facility for the elderly in Yamaguchi City, she continues to occasionally participate in activities such as gymnastics and walking practice.