Shimada was born on 25 September 1903 in Japan. On 5 July 2015, aged 111, she became the oldest living person in Saitama Prefecture after the death of 112-year-old Sakari Momoi, the world’s oldest man. On 17 May 2016, aged 112 years, 235 days, she broke the record of Hana Shindo and became Saitama Prefecture’s oldest resident ever.
Shimada died on 16 October 2016 in Sakado, Saitama at the age of 113 years, 21 days. Her successor as Saitama’s oldest living person was Futsuko Furuie of Shiki, then aged 110.
Shimada was reported in several Saitama news outlets as a supercentenarian. Her age was validated by the Gerontology Research Group in July 2015, shortly after being confirmed as Saitama’s oldest living person.