LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Mine Mutō of Japan at age 111. She was born in Osade Village, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan on 14 December 1883. Mutō was a wife and a mother to 10 children. On 21 December 1989, following the death of 106-year-old Naka Kobayashi of Akeno village, Mutō became the oldest living person in Yamanashi Prefecture.

In September 1992, when she was 108 years old, the governor of Yamanashi Prefecture visited her to celebrate Respect for the Aged Day. She was in good health at the time of the visit, but she became bedridden the following year. In December 1993, she celebrated her 110th birthday, becoming the first (known) supercentenarian in Yamanashi Prefecture. Subsequently, she became the first person in the Prefecture to reach the age of 111.

Mutō passed away in Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, on 2 March 1995, at the age of 111 years, 78 days.

Mutō remained the sole recorded supercentenarian in Yamanashi Prefecture for over 15 years following her passing. It was not until April 2010 that Masa Shimizu (1900–2011) became the second supercentenarian in the Prefecture. In January 2018, Natsu Kotsuka (1906–2018) surpassed Mutō’s final age, thereby becoming the new oldest person ever from Yamaguchi Prefecture.

LongeviQuest congratulates Mine Mutō’s family on her posthumous recognition.

For more information, please view Mutō’s Directory Profile here.

LongeviQuest is pleased to announce the age validation of Yoshiko Naitō of Japan at age 111. She was born in Yamanashi City, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan on 10 February 1912, as the second of four siblings. Naitō attended an all-girls school, and she excelled in her studies. She enjoyed learning and was a top student. After graduating, she taught Japanese dressmaking to local girls in her community for several years before getting married. Naitō married a seal engraver, and they had five children.

At the age of 100. (Source: Courtesy of the nursing home)
At the age of 100.
(Source: Courtesy of the nursing home)

Naitō had many hobbies and interests, which she maintained throughout her life. She loved to travel internationally, visit temples across Japan, read books, and tend to her vegetable garden. Naitō continued gardening until she was 95 when she suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage. She took her last overseas trip at the age of 93 and visited about 20 countries between her 60s and 90s. Naitō was a devout Buddhist and regularly made pilgrimages to both Shikoku and Kanto. She remained physically active in her daily life, walking approximately 2.5 kilometers to her vegetable garden every day. She also read newspapers daily, borrowed at least five books per month from the library, and participated in an elderly educational institution called “Kangakuin.”

On her 111th birthday in February 2023. (Source: Courtesy of the nursing home)
On her 111th birthday in February 2023.
(Source: Courtesy of the nursing home)

Her family attributed her longevity to a combination of factors, including her genetic predisposition for a long life, her commitment to physical activity, and her nutritious diet. As of October 2023, her younger brother was 101, and her younger sister was 98 years old.

On 15 September 2023, following the passing of 112-year-old Haruyo Fukasawa, she became the oldest living person in Yamanashi Prefecture.

For more information, please view Yoshiko Naitō’s Directory Profile here.