Japan’s oldest person dies at 113
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Kaku Yamanaka, 113, Japan’s oldest person, died of natural causes Saturday at a hospital in central Japan after falling ill at the nursing home where she lived in Yatomi City in Aichi prefecture.
Born on Dec. 11, 1894, Yamanaka was known for her love of singing and took part in local karaoke contests, an official at the nursing home said. She was the sixth-oldest person in the world at the time of her death.
Japan has one of the world’s longest average life spans -- a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in fish and rice.
In 2006, Japanese women set a record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live an average of about 79 years.
The number of Japanese living beyond 100 has almost quadrupled over the last 10 years. There were 32,295 centenarians in 2007, according to the Japanese Health Ministry.
Edna Parker of Shelbyville, Ind., is recognized as the world’s oldest person at age 114, according to Guinness World Records. She was born on April 20, 1893.
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