--- title: The World's Oldest Person is Totally Chill About Turning 117 description: Misao Okawa was born on March 5, 1898 canonical: https://time.com/3731407/worlds-oldest-person-117/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-03-04T13:33:33.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:29.630Z og:title: The World's Oldest Person is Totally Chill About Turning 117 og:description: Misao Okawa was born on March 5, 1898 og:url: https://time.com/3731407/worlds-oldest-person-117/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf57a7adb6ccce63/69878209cd1bbaad606f582c/misao-okawa.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: The World's Oldest Person Celebrated Ahead Of Turning 117 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The World's Oldest Person is Totally Chill About Turning 117 twitter:description: Misao Okawa was born on March 5, 1898 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltdf57a7adb6ccce63/69878209cd1bbaad606f582c/misao-okawa.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 07:08 video:published: 2014-05-23 section: health topics: Ikaria, Greek island lifestyle, longevity, stress, urban versus rural life, Athens, family, tradition, daily pace of life, alcohol consumption, sleep, documentary portrayal genre: documentary, interview tones: reflective, warm, candid, contemplative emotions: pride (medium), nostalgia (medium), contentment (medium), concern (low) sentiment: positive audience: health-conscious readers, travelers, general interest viewers, people curious about longevity content_suitability: drugs and alcohol [05:05-05:19] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # The World's Oldest Person Is Totally Chill About Turning 117 > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's weekday health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free weekday newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=594284c8-c6b1-487b-b07e-452dca941d80&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life [Watch (HLS stream): The Island That Holds the Secret to Long Life](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/orlnwhNb.m3u8) (7:08)  _Published 2014-05-23. Here's how the people of Ikaria, Greece reach old age_ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary The video explores Ikaria, a Greek island, and the way its people approach life, contrasting their slower pace and lower stress with life in Athens. Residents describe cultural habits such as avoiding stress, seeking small pleasures and living day to day. A speaker recounts working for his uncle and quitting after three days, and another questions how documentaries portray the island by focusing only on old people. Closing segments describe the value placed on family, continuity and enjoying the present. ## Key points - Ikaria's people are described as having a different lifestyle and way of looking at life, moving at their own pace. (00:18) - Athens is described as a crowded big city where crowding is a major stress and where obesity and anxiety are common. (01:52) - The island's residents are described as living in an epicurean culture that avoids stress or copes well with it. (03:02) - When stress cannot be avoided, Ikarians are said to seek small pleasures and live the day as it comes. (03:16) - A speaker says he took work with his uncle, worked three days, then quit because the early starts and long hours were too much. (03:59) - A speaker says documentaries about Ikaria show only old people and nature, not what young people are doing in their lives. (04:50) - A speaker doubts he would live as many years as Ikarians, citing heavy alcohol drinking and poor sleep. (05:05) - A speaker says older people draw a strong sense of continuity and fulfillment from family and enjoying the present moment. (06:44) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 01:38] Ikaria's distinct way of life. Speakers describe the island's unique identity, slower pace and approach to getting things done. - [01:38 to 03:02] Life in Athens versus Ikaria. A speaker contrasts the stress and health effects of city life in Athens with the environment on Ikaria. - [03:02 to 04:47] Cultural habits and stress. Speakers credit the people of Ikaria and their epicurean culture for avoiding stress and seeking small pleasures. - [04:47 to 06:07] Documentaries and lifestyle concerns. A speaker says documentaries focus on old people, and another doubts he would live as long given his drinking and sleep. - [06:07 to 07:08] Tradition, family and the present. Speakers discuss preserving Ikarian tradition and the older generation's sense of family continuity and contentment. ## Key quotes - [00:18] Ikarian speaker: "The people are not what you would find in other places, they have a different lifestyle, a different way of looking at life." - [03:02] Ikarian speaker: "It's the people of Ikaria that make the difference, the people are really for Ikaria." - [03:02] Ikarian speaker: "They live the day as it comes." - [04:50] Ikarian speaker: "In the documentaries they show only old people, they don't show nothing else, old people and the nature." - [05:05] Ikarian speaker: "I don't think that I would live so many years as them because, with the live that we are doing now it's, it's bad because we drink alcohol so much." - [06:44] Ikarian speaker: "They're not looking for new things. They're enjoying the things that they have in the moments they have." ## Questions this video answers - What makes the people of Ikaria different from people elsewhere? [00:18] - How does life in Athens compare to life on Ikaria, according to the speakers? [01:52] - What cultural habits help Ikarians manage stress? [03:02] - Why did one speaker quit working for his uncle? [03:59] - Do the speakers think they would live as long as older Ikarians? [05:05] - What do older Ikarians value in life, according to the speakers? [06:44] ## Content suitability - drugs and alcohol [05:05-05:19]: A speaker mentions drinking alcohol heavily as a reason he doubts he would live as long. by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Mar 4, 2015 1:33 PM UTC  Misao Okawa, the world's oldest Japanese woman poses for a photo with her great-grandchild Himaki and grandchild Takako Okawa on her 117th birthday celebration at Kurenai Nursing Home on March 4, 2015 in Osaka, Japan. Misao Okawa, the world's oldest Japanese woman poses for a photo with her great-grandchild Himaki and grandchild Takako Okawa on her 117th birthday celebration at Kurenai Nursing Home on March 4, 2015 in Osaka, Japan. Buddhika Weerasinghe—Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Mar 4, 2015 1:33 PM UTC The world’s oldest person has lived through two World Wars and the invention of the first airplane, but it doesn’t seem like a long time to Misao Okawa. “It seemed rather short,” Okawa said on Wednesday, the day before her 117th birthday, the Associated Press [reports](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/619596d2831e4b958b50915bbdcc66c1/worlds-oldest-person-celebrates-her-117th-birthday). When Okawa was asked about the secret to her longevity, she said nonchalantly, “I wonder about that too.” Okawa was born in Osaka on March 5, 1898 and was recognized as the world’s oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013\. She has slowed down in recent months but still eats well and is healthy, according to her Osaka nursing home. She married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and has three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1931. Japan has more than 58,000 centenarians, more than any other country in the world. _Read next:_ [_13 Secrets to Living Longer From the World’s Oldest People_](http://time.com/3731504/longevity-secrets-worlds-oldest-person/) ### These Are The Oldest Living People in the World  Misao Okawa, the world's oldest living person, looks on her 116th birthday celebration at Kurenai Nursing Home on March 5, 2014 in Osaka, Japan. Okawa, born in Tenma, Osaka, on March 5, 1898 to a family of Kimono merchants, married in 1919 and had three children, of which a daughter and a son are still alive, and has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Okawa is currently 116 years old. Buddhika Weerasinghe—Getty Images  Gertrude Weaver holds a flower given to her a day before her 116th birthday, at Silver Oaks Health and Rehabilitation Center in Camden, Ark., July 3, 2014\. The Gerontology Research Group says Weaver is the oldest person in the United States and second-oldest person in the world. Danny Johnston—AP  Jeralean Talley, photographed at 113, sits in her favorite chair in the living room of her home in Inkster, Mich. on April 2, 2013\. She is now 115. Kimberly P. Mitchell—AP  Susannah Mushatt Jones in her home in Brooklyn on June 11, 2014, a few weeks before her 115th birthday. Joseph C. Lin for TIME  Bernice Madigan, photographed on the cusp of her 110th birthday, is now 115. Dina Rudick—Boston Globe/Getty Images  Emma Morano-Martinuzzi was born on Nov. 29, 1899 and is 114 years old. Danilo Donadio  Antonia Gerena Rivera was born on May 19, 1900 and is now 114 years old. Gerontology Research Group  Ethel Lang celebrates her birthday with her great great grandchildren on Sept. 21, 1987 in the Bear Creek Nursing Home. Lang was born on May 27, 1900, and is now 114. John Preito—Denver Post/Getty Images  Nabi Tajima was born on Aug. 4, 1900 and is 114 years old. Kikai Newsletter  Born September 8, 1900, Blanche Arrington Cobb is photographed celebrating her 110th birthday in 2010\. Now 113, she has lived with her daughter on the Northside in Jacksonville, FL. Jon M. Fletcher—The Florida Times-Union  Anna Stoehr is photographed blowing out the 112 candles on her birthday cake with the help of her great grandchildren and about 180 guests on Oct. 14, 2012 in Millville, Minn. She is now 113. Richard Tsong—AP  Goldie Steinberg was born on Oct. 30, 1900, and is 113 years old. Market Wire  Merle Barwis, photographed at 111 years old, enjoys a birthday beer with family in Victoria, B.C. December 23, 2011\. She is now 113. Lyle StaffordL—Times Colonist \[[AP](http://bigstory.ap.org/article/619596d2831e4b958b50915bbdcc66c1/worlds-oldest-person-celebrates-her-117th-birthday)\] _Read next:_ [_Europe’s Oldest Woman Says Being Single Helped Her Live to 115_](http://time.com/3710565/emma-morano-europe-oldest-single/?xid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ]. [00:18] Ikaria is a very unique island. The people are not what [00:21] you would find in other places, they have a different [00:24] lifestyle, a different way of looking at life. We might [00:28] seem like we're not getting things done, or we might [00:30] be moving slowly, but we just move at our own pace [00:32] and things do get done in the end. Being Ikaria is [00:36] an identity unto [01:38] itself. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ] People wanna [01:41] live long, it's natural. Life is a gift, and [01:46] people want to enjoy it. [01:49] [ MUSIC ] [01:52] Unfortunately, you know, Athens is not a carrier. [01:56] Athens is a big city, people are crowded, crowding [01:58] alone is a major stress. It's [02:02] difficult to live there, connected life. There is [02:06] a lot [02:20] of obesity, there is a lot of anxiety. We've started [02:25] already to be seeing the results [02:33] of stress. In Ikaria they're not crowded, [02:39] they have the water right next to [02:45] them. Just the environment where they live, it's better. [02:48] [ FOREIGN ] [ INAUDIBLE ]. [ FOREIGN ]. It's [03:02] the people of Ikaria that make the difference, the [03:05] people are really for Ikaria. In Ikaria, it's cultural, it's [03:09] an epicurean culture, they avoid stress, or cope well [03:11] with it. When they cannot avoid it, they [03:16] seek small pleasures. They live the day as it comes. [03:21] So, somehow naturally, they're doing things that we [03:23] should all be doing. [ FOREIGN ]. [03:32] I got [03:37] money from [03:59] my uncle Giannis. He said to me, come with me for [04:03] work, for one week and I will give you money, I said, [04:05] okay. I went first three days, [04:09] and then I said, I, I quit, I cannot do it anymore. I was [04:13] waking up at 6 o'clock and working until, [04:17] four, five and he was saying, come on, let's go, let's go [04:20] until night. [04:47] [ FOREIGN ]. [ MUSIC ] [ FOREIGN ]. In the [04:50] documentaries they show only old people, they don't [04:55] show nothing else, old people and the nature. They [04:58] don't show the young people, what are they doing in [05:00] their lives, you know? [ NOISE ]. [05:05] I don't think that I would live so many years as them [05:08] because, with the live that we are doing now it's, [05:14] it's bad because we drink alcohol so much. We [05:19] don't sleep good. [ NOISE ] [06:07] [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. [ FOREIGN ]. I'm looking [06:10] forward to the people of Ikaria being able to come [06:13] together, and work for the good of their island. And [06:16] I'm also looking forward to the next generation, to see [06:19] how they turn out and where they're going to be in 20 [06:22] years time. I think it's gonna be a very interesting [06:24] journey. We like the tradition of Ikaria, the history, the [06:29] music, the culture, everything. We like it, and we trying, [06:34] I think, my generation is trying to keep it, you know, [06:37] not lose it. What I learn a lot from the older people is [06:40] their sense of continuity, their strong sense of family, [06:44] their strong sense of, my children have grown. I've [06:48] seen my grandchildren, my life is complete, I'm [06:50] fulfilled. They're not looking for new things. They're [06:54] enjoying the things that they have in the moments they [06:56] have. They're not looking for the next one, and the [06:59] next one before they've actually enjoyed the present [07:01] one. 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