Hisako Shiroishi

BIOGRAPHY

Hisako Shiroishi was born in the village of Takezawa (now part of Ogawa Town), Saitama Prefecture, Japan, on 19 May 1910. She lived through the Great Kantō Earthquake on September 1, 1923, when she was 13 years old. Her firsthand account of this event was highlighted in an article published in the Mainichi Shimbun on August 26, 2023. She was on her way home from school, engaged in play with her younger sister near the stream that flowed in front of their house when a powerful tremor struck. The intensity of the shaking rendered her immobile, and she clung to the grass for support until the tremors stopped.

At the age of 111, she independently selected her attire each day and enjoyed flower arranging at the nursing home once a month. When asked about the secret to her longevity, she said, “Eat everything without being picky.”

RECOGNITION

On September 15, 2010, a celebration of her 100th birthday was held at her residence in Higashichichibu Village, where she received a longevity gift from the village office and the Social Welfare Council.

On 18 September 2020, following the death of 110-year-old Chiyo Kato of Chichibu, she became the oldest living person in Saitama Prefecture.

On 10 June 2023, at the age of 113 years, 22 days, she surpassed the final age of Tane Shimada (1903–2016), becoming the oldest person to ever live in Saitama Prefecture.

Her age was verified by Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW), as well as Yu Li and Yumi Yamamoto, and validated by LongeviQuest on 12 September 2023.