Japan’s oldest person Shigeko Kagawa dies at 115
Shigeko Kagawa, Japan’s oldest person and a 115‑year‑old resident of Nara Prefecture, has died, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare announced Monday, Qazinform News Agency learned from Kyodo.
Kagawa passed away Thursday, the ministry said. Her death makes Fuyo Kishimoto, a 114‑year‑old woman from neighboring Kyoto, the country’s oldest living person.
Born in 1911, Kagawa graduated from a medical school in 1934 and worked in obstetrics, gynecology, and internal medicine at a hospital in Osaka before opening her own clinic in Nara in 1937. She continued practicing into her 80s, contributing decades to community health care.
Her public service extended beyond medicine. She assisted at the 1970 Osaka World Exposition and, in 2021, became the oldest torchbearer in the Tokyo Olympic torch relay.
Upon becoming Japan’s oldest living person in July 2025, Kagawa reflected on her longevity, attributing it to her lifelong habit of walking.
“My longevity is rooted in my habit of walking so much for many years,” she said at the time.
Earlier, it was reported that the world’s oldest person, Ethel Caterham, turned 117.