14 DAY TRIAL // Following the death on Sunday of Emma Faust Tillman, 114, in the United States, who held just for four days the title of world's oldest person, the new title holder is Yone Minagawa, born January 4, 1893, in Akaike, Fukuoka Prefecture, southern Japan.
When hearing the news, it took Minagawa a while to figure out what it was all about. Minagawa is barely 114 as she had her birthday party just three weeks ago. "Number one? Who? Me?" she said in her strong southern Japanese accent. "My goodness, I'm really grateful," she said, breaking into a big smile.
Minakawa received greetings in Keijuen, the nursing home in her native Akaike: hordes of well-wishing visitors and reporters came to see her. At 114, Minagawa is weak but doing well.
She still has good humor and sometimes makes others laugh with funny jokes. "Minagawa loves festive occasions and attends birthday parties and other recreational events at the nursing home," staff said.
She reads newspapers and letters from her family. "She usually rests on her bed, but sometimes ventures around the dining room on a motorized wheelchair and chats with friends. She seldom misses a weekly recreational sing-along," nursing home staffer Mika Tachibana said.
Every morning, Minagawa looks into the mirror and combs her hair. She enjoys her daily three meals -- usually mashed up to help her digestion -- and she loves Japanese sweets. "She is so youthful, it's hard to believe she is 114. Yone-san is our idol and a role model for other residents. We all hope to age like her."
Minagawa raised four sons and a daughter on her own by selling flowers and vegetables at a coal mine after her husband died.
Her five children have died but she has seven grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren, who often visit her.
She does not hear well, but can communicate fine "if we speak clearly and slowly by her ear," Tachibana said.
Japan possesses one of the longest average life spans, 85.3 years for women and 78.3 for men, and the world's oldest man is also Japanese, Tomoji Tanabe, 111 years old, born September 18, 1895.
28,000 persons over 100 are registered in Japan.