Emi Matsuda was born in Waga (now part of Kitakami), Iwate Prefecture, Japan, on 2 March 1913. She was the third of ten children. She got married at the age of 27 and the couple had five children. While raising her children, she simultaneously engaged in farming and factory work, and she continued working until she reached the age of 80.

At the time of her 110th birthday, she had nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She began attending the nursing home in 2004 and then relocated there in the spring of 2022. While at the nursing home, she pursued her hobbies of sewing and reading. On March 2, 2023, her 110th birthday was celebrated by her four children and extended family members at the nursing home.

Emi Matsuda passed away of natural causes in Kitakami, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, at 8:08 pm on 28 August 2023, at the age of 110 years, 179 days.