In March 2019, an official confirmation appeared in the Guinness Book of Records that 116-year-old Kane Tanaka from the Japanese city of Fukuoka is the oldest inhabitant of our planet.
Despite her record age and health problems, Kane is happy and enjoying every minute of her life.
Mrs. Tanaka was born on January 2, 1903, the same year the Wright brothers made their first flight. She was the seventh child in the family and herself gave birth to five children from Hideo Tanaka, whom she first saw on their wedding day. Hideo had his own business of making and selling sticky rice, traditional Japanese sweets, and udon noodles.
In 1937, her husband was drafted into the military, and Kane began to devote even more time to the family business. At the same time, she raised children and looked after her mother-in-law. The first son, Kane Nobuo, was also drafted into the army in 1943. He was captured and returned home in 1947 after the end of World War II. Kane continued to work in her own store until she retired at 63.
During the interview, Ms Tanaka shared simple but effective rules and tips for living happily ever after. .
1. Wake up early. Kane usually gets up before 6 in the morning and starts doing different things.
2. Develop your brain. Her favorite pastime is reading and learning math.
3. Be active and sociable. Kane has become a master of board games, which she plays with the staff of the sanatorium where she is now. Her favorite game is Othello.
4. Eat a lot of chocolate and drink a lot of coffee. At the awards ceremony in the Guinness office, she was presented with a huge box of chocolates, which she immediately began to treat. When asked how many pieces she would eat today, Kane replied, “One hundred!”
Ms. Tanaka also believes that having a large family also contributes to longevity. But her biggest secret is to be decisive and never give up hope. In 2018, she said that she would like to live to be 120 and will do her best for that!