TOKYO - Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old Japanese woman recognized as the world's oldest person, has died of old age in western Japan, according to local authorities.

Itooka died on Dec 29 in a nursing home for the elderly in the city of Ashiya where she resided, the city government in Hyogo prefecture said Saturday.

Born on May 23, 1908, Itooka became the oldest living person in Japan in December 2023 following the death of Fusa Tatsumi, a 116-year-old in Kashiwara, Osaka prefecture, a Hyogo neighbor.

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Itooka was subsequently recognized as the world's oldest living person by Guinness World Records in September 2024, following the death of the previous holder, 117-year-old Maria Branyas in Spain.