https://longeviquest.com/2025/09/japans-respect-for-the-aged-day-the-story-of-shitsui-konishi-at-110/

Japan’s Respect for the Aged Day — The Story of Shitsui Konishi at 110

Today is Japan Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro-no-Hi), a holiday in Japan that celebrates the wisdom and longevity of older generations. According to the announcement by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) of Japan, the number of centenarians in the country has reached 99,763, approaching the 100,000 mark.

Around 15 September each year, prefectures and local municipalities across Japan announce the oldest residents in their regions. From these announcements and related statistics, we learn that each year roughly 150 people aged 110 or older are confirmed to be living in Japan. Among them, about half remain out of the public eye—either because their families choose privacy or because they are not the oldest in their community. As a result, a large number of Japanese supercentenarians remain relatively unknown.

Earlier this month, we featured the life stories of Japan’s top three oldest residents, based on interviews we conducted with them. Today, we would like to share the story of another person we had the opportunity to interview: Shitsui Konishi (Japanese: 小西志つい) of Tokai Village, Ibaraki Prefecture, who turned 110 this year.

Overcoming Life’s Challenges

Shitsui Konishi (Japanese: 小西志つい) was born on 20 August 1915, in Komatsu Village, Ibaraki Prefecture (now Shirosato Town). She was the eldest of six siblings.

After graduating from elementary school, she spent about four years working as a live-in maid, which was a common path for young women in Japan at the time. She later moved to Hitachi City, where her parents were living, and there she met her future husband. The couple married when she was in her mid-20s.

Photo of the Couple

 

In 1943, she gave birth to a daughter, but her husband was killed in the war soon afterward. As a young widow, Konishi faced the hardship of raising a child during Japan’s postwar recovery. She entrusted her daughter to her parents’ care. Then she moved to Tokyo and worked in the hospitality industry to provide for her daughter back in Ibaraki. She remained in Tokyo until around the age of 70, when she returned to Ibaraki Prefecture and settled in Tokai Village, near the home of her daughter and son-in-law.

 

With Daughter

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In her 20s.

Joy in Music and Family

Konishi was known for her singing voice—perhaps shaped in part by her years of work in Tokyo—and she enjoyed singing even in later years. Her family gifted her a home karaoke set, and she would sometimes sing at home.

At around age 95, she went through a brief period of emotional difficulty while her daughter and son-in-law were away. Apart from that, she maintained good mental and physical health well into old age. Her memory has remained sharp, and she continues to recognize all of her grandchildren, always looking forward to their visits.

Her primary care doctor suggested that one factor behind her longevity may be her lifelong habit of keeping her back straight, which could have helped her internal organs stay in place and possibly prevented certain illnesses. Both of her parents also lived long lives—her mother to 103 and her father to 96—and were likewise remembered for their upright posture.

At age 100, with Daughter.

Living Independently to 110

What makes her story especially remarkable is that she lived alone until the age of 110. With daily support from her daughter and son-in-law—who visited three times a day and stayed with her until she fell asleep at night—Konishi was still able to maintain her independence without showing signs of dementia.

After turning 110, she moved into a nursing home in Tokai Village, where she now spends her days peacefully and looks forward to visits from her family.

Konishi on her 110th Birthday.

Thoughts on Japan Respect for the Aged Day

The life of Shitsui Konishi shows that reaching 110 is not simply a matter of years. It is closely connected to family support and the spirit with which she has lived.

Looking at photographs of her, from youth to the present, we can see that she has always worn a smile, and that the bond with her family has remained constant through the years. That journey speaks to the very things we are reminded to cherish on Respect for the Aged Day in Japan.