Japanese Woman, 116, Becomes World's Oldest Person

A Japanese woman, Tomiko Itooka, has been declared the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records. She is 116 years old, born on May 23, 1908, and resides in a nursing facility in Ashiya, Japan. Itooka's age has been validated by the Gerontology Research Group.

"She has great communication skills," sources say, despite being hard of hearing.

Itooka was raised in Osaka, married at 20, and had four children. During WWII, she managed her husband's textile factory in South Korea. She credits her adventurous activities in her 70s and 80s as key to her longevity. These include climbing Mount Nijo twice and completing the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a 1,000-kilometer route with 33 temples. At 100, she walked unassisted at the Ashiya Shrine.

Itooka is a supercentenarian with a love for bananas and a daily milky drink. She played volleyball in school and is a grandmother and great-grandmother with four children. She lived alone for a decade.

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Original article: USA TODAY via Al Jazeera.