On February 13, 2024, LongeviQuest Japan visited Miyoko Hiroyasu, who lives in Oita Prefecture, to celebrate her 113th birthday. Yumi Yamamoto, President of LongeviQuest Japan, celebrated with Hiroyasu and had a conversation with her. Hiroyasu was also given a flower arrangement to celebrate her birthday. She pleasingly said, “It’s beautiful. These aren’t artificial flowers, they’re real flowers, right? What are these flowers? They’re rare, and I’ve never seen them before.”
When asked about her age, she answered, “How old am I now? 113 years old? Well, I’ve lived a long time. I’m surprised myself.” Hiroyasu was born in Oita and had an older sister and a younger sister. She mentioned that ever since she was in first grade, she was the class president, and that’s something she is very proud of. Hiroyasu graduated from a prefectural girls’ high school and entered an art school in Tokyo. She was boarding at her uncle’s house in Tokyo. “There were two maids at my uncle’s house, and they were called Ojo-sama. My grandmother also lived there, she was very strict. At night, before going to bed, I always went to greet my grandmother at bedtime. When I opened the sliding door and said, Grandma, good night, please rest, she always responded with, good night.” Hiroyasu made us laugh by imitating her grandmother’s deep voice.
After graduating, she worked as an art teacher at a girls’ high school in Hiroshima. She got married in Hiroshima and was blessed with three children. Her childhood memories include playing with her hands and with a jumping rope and climbing trees to pick oranges. She learned about tea, flowers, and etiquette at an all-girls school where she studied. She also remembered going to a fireworks display and watching the fireworks from a bridge. A memory she shared of her time as a teacher was encouraging her students to enter a Yukata design contest sponsored by a newspaper company. We were amazed at how well Ms. Hiroyasu told these stories and how detailed her memory was.
Hiroyasu was a former art teacher. She still likes to draw, so her flower paintings are displayed in the group home where she is admitted. She also actively participates in all recreational activities at the facility, most especially singing. “Every day is fun. I watch TV, play cards with everyone, and play Karuta.” Hiroyasu says that she subscribes to a daily newspaper herself and that she reads it thoroughly every day using a magnifying glass. She jokingly said, “I read all the flyers that are stuck in the newspaper, even though I can’t go shopping myself anymore.”
Hiroyasu says that she has a strong body and rarely catches a cold. “Ever since I was little, I was full of energy and went everywhere. My sister often skipped school, but I never skipped school. I did what I wanted to do, and I was a bit boyish. I was free-spirited.” When we asked her what her favorite food was, she replied, “I like everything; I don’t have a picky taste.” Her birthday meal request was salted kelp rice.
We had heard from the staff at the nursing home that Hiroyasu-san would sometimes tell stories about Aesop’s Fables, “The Fox and the Grapes,” in English. So we requested that she recite the fable for us. Hiroyasu started, “Once upon a time, a fox lived in the countryside. One day, the fox went to the grape garden. The fox said, “This fruit is bad.” My story is over.” She was given a round of applause. During her high school’s school play, she gave a presentation in English. The fact that she still remembers that is truly an amazing memory.
During our last conversation, she mentioned, “The best thing about my body is that it’s strong. Everything tastes good, and I’m sleeping well. Everyone here takes good care of me, and I’m happy.” When we said our goodbyes to her, we said, “We hope you continue to be well.” Hiroyasu also gave us kind words of comfort, saying, “Please take care of yourself, don’t hurt yourself, don’t hurt your stomach, and stay healthy.” Her kind words deeply moved us. We were really happy to meet her.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Miyoko Hiroyasu, who shared many valuable stories with us, and to the nursing home staff, who kindly accepted our visit.
Photographer: Koji Ohashi
