World's oldest person celebrates 117th birthday

A ceremony was held in Osaka on Wednesday to celebrate the coming birthday of the world's oldest living person Misao Okawa, who is about to turn 117 years old on Thursday.

Born on March 5, 1898, Okawa was recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013, after the death of 116-year-old Jireomon Kimura, who was also Japanese.

Okawa, daughter of a kimono maker, married her husband in 1919 and had three children with him. Her husband died in 1931.

Living in a nursing home, Okawa is still in good health.

"It seemed rather short," said Okawa when asked about her feelings of having lived for 117 years by Osaka government official Takehiro Ogura, who visited the nursing home on Wednesday for the celebration.

Last year, when asked about her secrets of longevity a few days before her birthday, Okawa said that sushi and sleep are the reasons why she has lived so long.

Japan currently has more than 58,000 centenarians, the most in the world. The average life span for a Japanese woman has reached 86.61 years, and 80.21 years for a Japanese man. Longevity of the Japanese are often ascribed to a healthy traditional diet and advanced medical care of the country.