Yoshi Kitamura was born in Japan on 1 June 1901.

In 2007, at the age of 106, Kitamura lived in a household of seven, including herself, her eldest son and his wife, her grandchild and their spouse, and her two great-grandchildren in Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture. It was reported that she still ate the same meals as her family and handled most of her daily necessities independently during this time. She was said to be slightly hard of hearing but didn’t take any medication and was otherwise in good health. Kitamura moved into a nursing home for the elderly at some point between 2007 and 2010.

Kitamura had a well-structured daily routine. At the age of 109, she performed physical rehabilitation exercises at her nursing home every morning after breakfast. Although she lived in a wheelchair by this time, she could still walk short distances with assistance from the staff and could transition from her wheelchair to the sofa entirely unassisted. She wasn’t picky when it came to food and was said to eat anything.

Yoshi Kitamura passed away in Toyooka City, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, on 29 May 2013, at the age of 111 years, 362 days.