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Meet the world's oldest woman

aadmin — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 14:43:18 +0000

There is a new record holder for the title of world’s oldest woman.

As reported by Australian news site News.com.au, 114 year-old Misao Okawa of Japan recently took the title of the oldest woman after the recent death of the previously world's oldest woman, Koto Okubo of Japan in January, who became the world’s oldest woman only one month earlier with the death of Dina Manfredini of the United States.

Okawa, a resident of Osaka, a city of three million people in south Japan, was recognized by Guinness World Records, who certified that she was born on March 5, 1898. Okawa married at the age of 21, and later had three children – two of whom are still alive – as well as four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren, the youngest of which is only two months old.

“I'm happy. I'm feeling good anyway,” the news site quoted Okawa as telling local media after being recognized by Guinness.

Less than 30 miles away, in an area of Japan known for the longevity of its residents, lives the world’s oldest man, 115 year-old Jiroemon Kimura.

According to Japanese census data, in 1989 about 12% of the country's population was aged 65 and over, but that number jumped to more than 23% by 2011.

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Health and Wellness

Inspiring stories

Japanese government minister tells elderly to "hurry up and die"

aadmin — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:56:07 +0000

‘Respect your elders’ is a common adage, and one which many cultures around the world adhere to; honoring older people for their knowledge, wisdom and experience.

But in Japan, a country known for its honor of the elderly, a senior government minister is being criticized for recently telling seniors to “hurry up and die.”

As reported in the Globe and Mail newspaper, Taro Aso, Japan’s newly-appointed minister of finance, expressed his opinion at a recent meeting on the topic of social security, where he said he was frustrated that - according to his perception - many Japanese seniors are content to retire off government funds.

“I would wake up feeling increasingly bad knowing that[my retirement] was all being paid for by the government,” the 72 year-old wealthy official was quoted by the newspaper as saying at the meeting.

In Japan, Aso’s comments are likely to offend millions of people in the country’s assisted living communities.

Japan has one of the world’s lowest fertility rates, with only an average of 1.39 children per woman, and the shortage of children has created a demographic imbalance with a disproportionately large number of seniors in the country.

And although the country’s population has experienced a slight decline since 2010, the proportion of seniors has jumped to nearly one-fourth of the overall population.

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Politics and Government

World's oldest person dies at 115 years old

aadmin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:53:09 +0000

Around the world, thanks to better health and nutrition, people are living longer than ever before. But despite the advancements, the world’s oldest people are clustered in countries like Japan, Switzerland, Australia and Singapore.

Japan, ranked first in the list of countries with the longest life expectancies, recently lost its oldest resident, and the oldest person on the planet, with the death of 115 year-old Koto Okubo.

As reported by the Huffington Post, Okubo lived in a Tokyo nursing care facility, in the suburb of Kawasaki City.

Born on December 24, 1897, Okubo was the recognized oldest woman in the world for only a month, following the death in December of 115 year-old Italian-American Dina Manfredini.

According to the news source, Okubo lived in the Tokyo nursing home with her elderly son.

And now, after the passing of Okubu, the title of world’s oldest person has been given to another Japan national, 115 year-old Jiroemon Kimura, a resident of the city of Kyoto.

Do you hope to become a centenarian and live to at least 100 years old one day? How do you plan to stay healthy for so long? Tell us about your plans in the comment section below.

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85 year-old Sushi Master Dreams of Perfection

aadmin — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:43:33 +0000

If you love all things Japanese, especially Japanese food, and in particular sushi, then you would enjoy the documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi. It's an hour and a half long, and worth the watch for sushi lovers.

The film features 85 year-old Jiro Ono who is considered to be one of the world's greatest sushi chefs. He is the owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a 10-seat, sushi-only restaurant in Tokyo's Ginza metro subway station. A meal at Jiro's restaurant would cost 370 dollars in the USA, reports SeniorsAloud. Plus, reservations are difficult and expect a long wait. Remember, Sukiyabashi has only 10-seats.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi, directed by David Gelb received an enthusiastic write-up by The New Yorker's Silvia Killingsworth. She described a meal at Sukiyabashi Jiro consisting of twenty pieces of sushi served one at a time. The meal lasts about fifteen or twenty minutes. There are definitely no California rolls.

Killingsworth writes that Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a gorgeously shot documentary by director Gelb. Ono has been making sushi since 1939 when he left home at the age of nine. Japan has declared him a national treasure, but the 85 year-old says, “all I want to do is make better sushi.”

Jiro's older son, Yoshikazu, goes to great length to bicycle to the fish market and to bid for the best catch of the day. His father's rice is revered by foodies for being expertly cooked, fanned, vinegared, and maintained at the perfect temperature, writes Killingsworth. When the sushi is served it must be consumed right away; hence, the fleeting nature of the meal.

This 85 year-old sushi master deserves a wide audience in Jiro Dreams of Sushi.

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