World's Oldest Person, Misao Okawa, Passes Away At 117

Misao Okawa, the world's oldest person according to Guinness World Records, who reached her 117th birthday earlier this month, died of heart failure at her nursing home in Japan. Okawa passed away Wednesday morning in Osaka, Japan, Tadahi Uchimura, a local official from the city told CNN. She left behind three children, four grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Okawa was born on March 5, 1898.


Her family ran a Kimono shop in Osaka, Satoshi Yoshioka, an employee at the nursing home where she had lived since 1997 told CNN.

"She was a person with mild character, and loved to eat so much. Her favorite food was sushi and udon noodles. She had eaten a lot of cake for her birthday last March 5. However, in the last 10 days she stopped eating. I think eating was her motivation to live, and when she lost it, she passed away." Yoshioka said.

According to Guiness World Records, the oldest person ever was Jeanne Louise Calment, who died at age 122 in 1997.