World's oldest person dies at 117

Misao Okawa passed away on Wednesday surrounded by her family and nursing home workers in Osaka, a nursing home official Tomohiro Okada said.

"She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep," he said. "We miss her a lot."

Okawa, a daughter of a kimono maker from Osaka, was born in 1898, the same year Pepsi-Cola was launched. She married her husband, Yukio, in 1919 and had two daughters and a son. She is survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Okawa's husband died in 1931.

Okawa had been eating well up until about 10 days ago, drinking her daily cup of coffee and consuming her favorite food, including ramen, Okada said.

She was also well enough to enjoy her birthday cake when she tuned 117 on March 5. During the celebration, Okawa said her life seemed rather short. She has credited her long life to "eating delicious things" and resting a lot.

She was recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013, after Jiroemon Kimura, also from Japan, died at 116. Japan has the over 58,000 centenarians, more than any other country in the world, according to the government. About 87 percent of people over 100 in Japan are women.

However, the world's oldest person is now 116-year-old American Gertrude Weaver, according to Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group.

dj/sms (Reuters, AP)