Birth
16 January 1883Ōita Prefecture, JapanDeath
26 March 1994Yonōzu, Ōita Prefecture, JapanAge
111
Sū Yamada
Sū Yamada (Japanese: 山田スウ) was a Japanese supercentenarian whose age has been validated by LongeviQuest.
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Biography
Yamada was born in Ōita Prefecture, Japan, on 16 January 1883. At the age of 19, she married Tokunosuke, a fisherman who lived nearby. The couple had five sons and three daughters.
Around the age of 107, her legs began to weaken, causing her to spend more time in bed, though she remained self-sufficient in her daily activities. She possessed a methodical personality, maintaining impeccable tidiness, and even at 107, it noted how she had a lot of black hair. However, shortly before her 111th birthday, her health deteriorated, leading to her hospitalization. During the time she resided with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren, she maintained a structured daily routine. She would rise at 6:00 in the morning and retire around 9:00 at night. Her diet consisted of three meals a day, with a preference for meat and fish. One of her hobbies was watching sumo wrestling.
Yamada passed away in the village of Yonōzu (now part of the city of Saiki), Ōita Prefecture, Japan, at 11:03 am on 26 March 1994, at the age of 111 years, 69 days. She was survived by around 90 descendants, including her great-great-grandchildren.
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On 27 December 1985, following the death of 104-year-old En Ishimatsu of Ōita City, she became the oldest living person in Ōita Prefecture, at the age of 102.
In September 1990, Yamada was reported as the 20th-oldest living person in Japan in the National Elderly Register.
In September 1992, Yamada was reported as the 5th-oldest person in Japan on the National Elderly Register.
In January 1993, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the second supercentenarian in Ōita Prefecture. On 26 June, at the age of 110 years, 161 days, she surpassed the final age of Eki Takakura (1864–1974), becoming Ōita Prefecture’s oldest person ever. She held this record for almost 20 years, until 26 April 2013, when her final age was surpassed by Mitsue Toyoda (1902–2016).
In September 1993, Yamada was reported as the third-oldest person in Japan, behind Tane Ikai and Hide Ohira.
On January 13, 1994, three days before her 111th birthday, the village chief visited her hospital room in Saiki City to celebrate her birthday.
Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Ryohei Asano, Marco Wikkerink, and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 30 August 2023.
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* National Elderly Directory, September 1988 edition
* “県内最高齢の１０７歳、米水津村山田さんに村長記念品 大分” – Nishinippon Shimbun, 12 September 1990
* “県内最高齢の山田さん、１１１歳の誕生日 大分” – Nishinippon Shimbun, 17 January 1994
* “［死去］山田スウさん、九州の最高齢者” – Nishinippon Shimbun, 28 March 1994