Japan’s oldest citizen Shigeko Kagawa has died at age of 115 years and 91 days on August 27 in Nara Prefecture. She became Japan’s oldest living person after death of a 114-year-old woman from Oita on July 29, 2025.
Born in May 1911, Kagawa was an obstetrician and gynaecologist who graduated from Osaka Women’s Medical College in 1930s. She treated thousands of patients during WWII and ran a private clinic in Yamatokoriyama, known for late-night house calls.Her secret to long life? According to Gerontology Research Group, she said, “Walking and using your brain” kept her going.
Family said she followed simple routine of three proper meals daily and said, “There is no secret; I don’t do anything special.”At 109, she participated as torchbearer in 2021 Tokyo Olympic Torch Relay.
