Fusa Tatsumi

BIOGRAPHY

Fusa Tatsumi was born in Yao City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan on 25 April 1907. She was the fifth of six siblings. After graduating from elementary school, she practiced tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, and the koto (a classical Japanese musical instrument), and obtained a diploma. At the age of 32, she married Ryutaro Tatsumi (巽龍太郎) and they moved to Kashiwara City, Osaka Prefecture. She gave birth to her eldest daughter in 1941 and her eldest son in 1947.

Tatsumi worked in a family orchard (growing peaches, plums, and grapes) until her husband died when she was about 55 years old. She would carry a basket of fruits harvested in her orchard on her back. Her family has attributed her longevity to this physical work.

As a hobby, Tatsumi enjoyed growing chrysanthemum flowers. However, when she was in her 70s, she fell after getting her clothes caught in her flowerbed, resulting in a broken femur. She carried a bolt in her leg for the remainder of her life. Other than her injury at that time, she was never seriously ill or injured.

Tatsumi lived at home with her family until just before she was 107. In April 2017, she celebrated her 110th birthday with a small celebration.

RECOGNITION

Her age was validated by GRG Japan on 13 August 2019. In September 2019, she was reported as the second-oldest living person in Osaka prefecture, Japan, after Katsuko Nakajima, but by September 2020, she was reported as the oldest.

Tatsumi became the oldest validated living person in Japan and Asia, following the death of Kane Tanaka on 19 April 2022. Tanaka’s death was publicly announced on 25 April, the same day as Tatsumi’s 115th birthday. Following the death of an anonymous woman of Hyogo on 30 April 2022, Tatsumi became the last surviving Japanese person born in 1907. Since the death of Lucile Randon on 17 February 2023, Tatsumi has been the second-oldest validated living person in the world, after María Branyas Morera.

On 25 April 2023, on her 116th birthday celebration, she was visited by the LongeviQuest team. She was presented with flowers, a cake with decorations that represents the longevity in Japan, and a plaque that acknowledged her as the oldest living person in Japan.

On 18 October 2023, at the age of 116 years, 176 days, she surpassed the final age of Tane Ikai, becoming fifth-oldest Japanese person ever, behind Tanaka, Nabi Tajima, Chiyo Miyako, and Misao Okawa.