Biography
Hongo was born on the small island of Tokunoshima, home of Shigechiyo Izumi, around 1893. She later moved to Kagoshima on Kyūshū, where she lived with her daughter. She was considered to be the oldest person in Japan after the death of Denzo Ishisaki in 1999. Hongo attained a measure of celebrity and was the focus of some merchandise (washcloths, keyrings, phone cards, etc.) sold highlighting her longevity. She appeared on Japanese television several times.
She spent her later life in Kagoshima, Kyūshū, and celebrated her alleged 116th birthday the month before her death from pneumonia.
Kyūshū has been the home of other age recordholders, including former WOM and WOP Yukichi Chuganji, who died one month before her. In January 2007, another Kyūshū islander, Yone Minagawa, attained the world's oldest person title, and Kyūshū resident Tomoji Tanabe took the men's title, once again making it the "island of longevity".
Read more about this topic: Kamato Hongo
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