Yūko Satō was born in Omonogawa (now part of Yokote City), Akita Prefecture, Japan, on 29 September 1910. She was the second daughter among eight siblings born to a landowner. She was raised in a wealthy family and traveled to elementary school by rickshaw. Upon graduating from elementary school, she enrolled in Akita Seirei Girls’ School and resided in its dormitory. At some point, she married a veterinarian, and they had two children. She lost her husband to illness in 1945. Following his passing, she single-handedly raised their two children while assisting local farmers and pursuing a career as a Japanese tailor. Furthermore, when her daughter-in-law passed away at a young age, she stepped into the role of a mother and raised her grandchildren. Her mother lived to be 94, and most of her siblings lived into their 80s.

Because she was a reliable and strong-willed person, sometimes she assumed roles such as the local women’s director and director of the widow’s association. She enjoyed playing gateball until she was about 85 years old, and she even won a city tournament. Up until her 90s, she occasionally embarked on hot spring trips with her family. However, as her legs gradually weakened, she decided to move into a nursing home at the age of 100.

Yūko Satō passed away of natural causes in a special nursing home in Akita City, Akita Prefecture, Japan, on 15 December 2023, at the age of 113 years, 77 days.