108-year-old Japanese woman certified as the world's oldest barber

Shitsui Hakoishi, 108, poses with her certificate. She has been recognised as the world's oldest working female barber at her shop in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture. (Image credit: AFP)

A 108-year-old Japanese woman has been certified the world's oldest barber, Guinness World Records said -- and she has pledged to keep working until at least 110.

Shitsui Hakoishi, born in 1916, decided to become a barber at the age of 14 when a friend's mother asked if she wanted to become an apprentice at a hair salon in Tokyo.

She still holds her own scissors, and took part this week in a celebration ceremony reportedly attended by her two children, an 85-year-old daughter and an 81-year-old son.

"I'm very happy. My heart is full," she said at the ceremony in Nakagawa, a town in the eastern region of Tochigi.

Guinness World Records told AFP on Friday that the oldest barber category is split into male and female categories, but the oldest male barber -- Anthony Mancinelli, who worked in New York until at least 107 years old -- has now passed away.

Hakoishi married in her early 20s and opened a salon with her husband, but he was conscripted during World War II and died.

The salon, which doubled as her family home, "was reduced to ashes during the bombing of Tokyo by the US military", Guinness said in a statement.

Hakoishi and her children survived, however, as they had evacuated to her hometown of Nakagawa.

Several years after the war, Hakoishi opened a new salon in Nakagawa, where she works to this day and where old clients sometimes ring up to book a haircut.

While she now lives in a care home, she is still able to look after herself.

She was one of the Tokyo Olympics torchbearers in 2021, walking around 200 metres (yards), according to regional broadcaster Tochigi TV.

Asked about her future goals, she said that she turns 109 this year but wants to "work hard until 110".

116-year-old Japanese woman confirmed as world's oldest living person

Tomiko Itooka, a 116-year-old resident of Ashiya, Japan, has been officially recognised as the world’s oldest living person following the death of 117-year-old Maria Branyas Morera. The Gerontology Research Group, which validates the ages of those believed to be over 110, confirmed Itooka’s age and birthdate, placing her at the top of its World Supercentenarian Rankings List. This was subsequently confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Itooka, who was born on 23 May 1908 in Osaka, has lived in a nursing home in Ashiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, since 2019. Prior to this, she resided with her two daughters until the age of 110. When informed of her new status as the world's oldest living person, Itooka simply responded with "Thank you," a sentiment she frequently expresses to her caregivers.

Itooka celebrated her 116th birthday three months ago, where she received flowers, a card from the city’s mayor, and a cake, although she admitted to not being particularly fond of the latter. Despite being hard of hearing, she remains able to communicate clearly with those around her.

Born as the second of three siblings, Itooka attended an all-girls high school in Osaka, where she actively participated in volleyball. She married at the age of 20 and had four children—two daughters and two sons. During World War II, she managed the office of her husband’s textile factory. After her husband’s death in 1979, she lived alone in Nara Prefecture, where she continued to pursue her love for hiking and completed several significant pilgrimages.

(With inputs from AFP)