| Shizuko Oyama | |
| Birth: | 8 December 1893 Taketomi, Okinawa, Japan |
| Death: | 14 May 2005 Uechi, Okinawa, Japan |
| Age: | 111 years, 157 days |
| Country: |  JPN
|
| Validated | |
Shizuko Oyama [Japanese: 大山静子] (8 December 1893 – 14 May 2005) was a Japanese supercentenarian whose age is validated by the Gerontology Research Group (GRG). At the time of her death, she was the second-oldest living person in Japan, after Yone Minagawa.
Biography
Shizuko Oyama was born in Taketomi, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, on 8 December 1893. She was the third out of seven siblings, all but one of whom lived until at least 70.
At the age of 19, Oyama married, and would later give birth to nine children, three of whom were still alive when she became a centenarian, two of whom died young, and four of whom died in their 20s.
Oyama helped her husband raise hogs and farm sugarcane and vegetables until she was 80, and weaved until she was 85. At the age of 89, she was widowed; the following year, she moved to Uechi to live with her oldest son's family. She liked pork, raw sugar, rice cakes, jasmine tea and raw fish, and disliked nitsuke (an Okinawan dish of simmered vegetables and meat). She often exercised by walking on her house's rooftop.
When asked about her longevity, she said, "I don't know how long I can live since God decides that." When asked about whether she enjoyed living long, she said: "I don't know a good answer, but I should say I am glad."
Following the death of 112-year-old Kame Higa on 23 February 2005, Oyama became the oldest living person in Okinawa Prefecture.
Shizuko Oyama died in Uechi, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, on 14 May 2005 at the age of 111 years, 157 days.
References
- 沖縄県 Data Collection Site
- Shizuko Ooyama; Exceptional Human Longevity Aging and Age-related Diseases: The Basics, by Michał Karasek