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Ine Tsugawa

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Ine Tsugawa
Ine Tsugawa
Birth: 3 April 1875
Koyadaira (now Mima), Tokushima, Japan
Death: 21 May 1986
Koyadaira (now Mima), Tokushima, Japan
Age: 111 years, 48 days
Country: JapanJPN
Validated

Ine Tsugawa [Japanese: 津川イネ] (3 April 1875 – 21 May 1986) was a Japanese supercentenarian whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG).

Biography

Early Life and Family

Ine Tsugawa was born in Koyadaira (now Mima), Tokushima Prefecture, Japan on 3 April 1875. Her mother, Suma, died in October 1944. She had the chance to go to school (the school of Koyadaira was founded in 1879), where she learnt to read.

Tsugawa married Kinpachi Tomizu [Japanese: 富水金八] from Kamiyama. She adopted his son, and had several more children with him, but only three survived to adult age (including Shoichi and Fumio). The Tsugawa family cultivated wheat, potatoes, soja and vegetables.

During World War II, her second son Fumio died at age 21 in Leyte (Philippines) in July 1945, and her grandson Tadahito died at age 15 in South China Sea in February 1945. Her oldest son, Shoichi (aged 67 in 1986), was injured during World War II, but survived. After the war, Shoichi married Nobuko and had three children with her (including Sada, born 1948).

Later Life

Tsugawa lived with her son Soichi and his family in Morito locality, Koyadaira. In 1972, the family moved to Taniguchi locality (still in Koyadaira), where Soichi and his son Sada built a new house because it was impossible for cars to go to Morito. In February 1975, Tsugawa's first great-grandchild was born of her grandson Sada (born 1948) and her granddaughter-in-law Yasuyo (aged 68 in 2019). She survived Typhoon Rita (the worst natural disaster of the history of her village) in August 1975 and Typhoon Fran in September 1976.

Tsugawa ate everything, but preferred vegetables to meat. Her favourite dishes were mochi and dango. She was strong-willed and used to say things clearly, being intransigent on some things (in February 1986, she firmly told a journalist he'd better to put down his cup before posing for a photo). She said she has never been seriously ill, aside of some colds.

At the time of her 100th birthday in 1975, Tsugawa was still doing needlework. In September 1977, her village offered her a trip to Tokyo to honour her longevity; there, she saw sumo fights (which she often watched at television), and visited the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni Shrine.

Tsugawa used to work in the fields all the day; even as a centenarian, she kept on weeding and growing vegetables. As of her 106th birthday in 1981, her daily routine was: waking up at 6 a.m., working in the vegetable garden (around 2 km far from her house) if the weather was clear, and going to bed at 8 p.m. She stopped working in the fields after injuring her back in the fall 1981. Instead, she was doing a 30-minute walk every day.

On her 111th birthday in 1986, a big ceremony was organised in Koyadaira primary school, during which Tsugawa received the title of honorary citizen of her village. To thank all the participants, she gave a paper with her handprints to each of them. On 13 May 1986, she caught a light cold, then gradually lost appetite until being unable to eat anymore on 20 May.

Ine Tsugawa died in Koyadaira (now Mima), Tokushima Prefecture, Japan at 8:04 p.m. on 21 May 1986, at the age of 111 years, 48 days.

Longevity Records

Following the death of 105-year-old Yoshino Yamamoto on 5 June 1979, Tsugawa became the oldest living person in Tokushima Prefecture.

Following the death of 110-year-old Momu Okuma on 10 February 1984, Japan's MHLW reported her as the oldest living woman in Japan.

Following Okuma's death, Tsugawa also became the oldest living person in Japan. However, Japan's MHLW gave her that title following the death of 120-year-old Shigechiyo Izumi (whose age is now disputed) on 21 February 1986.

Gallery

References


Japan's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (V • T • E)

Yoshino Nakagami • Sue Watanabe • Take Shimizu • Tsuru Sakagami • Kuma Yoshida • Tome Yoshida • Shikazo Mada • Tokusaburo Hatsukade • Haru Komai • Ishi Hayashi • Yoshigiku Ito • Tome Horigome • Haruno Shimada • Mito Umeta • Niwa Kawamoto • Isa Nakayama • Man Ichikawa • Koume Kabira • Masutaro Sato • Matsu Yoshikuni • Koharu Kodaira • Oto Michii • Toka Miyata • Momu Okuma • Ine Tsugawa • Seki Takehara • Waka Shirahama • Tane Ikai • Sue Utagawa • Suekiku Miyanaga • Asa Takii • Tase Matsunaga • Yasu Akino • Denzo Ishizaki • Kayo Fujii • Mie Ishiguro • Matsuno Oikawa • Yukichi Chuganji • Mitoyo Kawate • Ura Koyama • Yone Minagawa • Shitsu Nakano • Tsuneyo Toyonaga • Kaku Yamanaka • Kama Chinen • Chiyono Hasegawa • Jiroemon Kimura • Misao Okawa • Anonymous of Tokyo • Nabi Tajima • Chiyo Miyako • Kane Tanaka • Fusa Tatsumi • Tomiko Itooka • Okagi Hayashi • Mine Kondo • Masu Usui • Miyoko Hiroyasu • Shigeko Kagawa


Japan's Oldest Living Woman Titleholders (V • E)

Yoshino Nakagami • Sue Watanabe • Take Shimizu • Tsuru Sakagami • Kuma Yoshida • Tome Yoshida • Haru Komai • Ishi Hayashi • Yoshigiku Ito • Tome Horigome • Haruno Shimada • Mito Umeta • Niwa Kawamoto • Isa Nakayama • Man Ichikawa • Koume Kabira • Matsu Yoshikuni • Koharu Kodaira • Oto Michii • Toka Miyata • Momu Okuma • Ine Tsugawa • Seki Takehara • Waka Shirahama • Tane Ikai • Sue Utagawa • Suekiku Miyanaga • Asa Takii • Tase Matsunaga • Yasu Akino • Kayo Fujii • Mie Ishiguro • Matsuno Oikawa • Mitoyo Kawate • Ura Koyama • Yone Minagawa • Shitsu Nakano • Tsuneyo Toyonaga • Kaku Yamanaka • Kama Chinen • Chiyono Hasegawa • Koto Okubo • Misao Okawa • Anonymous (Tokyo) • Nabi Tajima • Chiyo Miyako • Kane Tanaka • Fusa Tatsumi • Tomiko Itooka • Okagi Hayashi • Mine Kondo • Masu Usui • Miyoko Hiroyasu • Shigeko Kagawa

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