Supercentenarian Revealed Her Secret to Living a Long Life Before She Died at 115

Shigeko Kagawa, Japan's oldest person, died on Aug. 27

The former doctor once shared her secret to living a long life

Fuyo Kishimoto, 114, is now Japan's oldest living person

Before her recent death at 115 years old, Japan's oldest person shared her secret to living a long life.

Shigeko Kagawa died on Aug. 27 after living for 115 years and 91 days, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as well as the Gerontology Research Group (GRG), which researches supercentenarians.

Kagawa once chalked up her longevity to "walking and using your brain," per online news outlets Công Luận and The Independent .

When she was younger, Kagawa walked a lengthy distance from home to a train that took her to school. As an adult, the former obstetrician and gynecologist routinely walked to patients' homes to check on them.

"I think walking a lot since I was a child is the source of my energy today," she once said, per Công Luận.

Kagawa was born on May 28, 1911, in Yamatokōriyama, Nara Prefecture, where she also died.

After graduating from Osaka Women's Higher Medical School in 1934, she worked in the obstetrics, gynecology and internal medicine departments at Osaka Municipal Minami Citizens' Hospital, according to GRG.

Three years later, she opened her own practice and continued to work as a medical professional until her 80s.

In April 2021 — at age 109 years and 11 months — Kagawa served as a torchbearer for the 2020 Olympic Games, which were delayed a year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

After Kagawa's recent death, GRG noted that 114-year-old Fuyo Kishimoto , of Kyoto Prefecture, is now the oldest living person in Japan.

The world's oldest living person, 117-year-old Ethel Caterham , also once revealed her secret to living a long life: "Never arguing with anyone, I listen and I do what I like," she told the Associated Press in 2025.