The world's oldest person has died at the age of 117.
Japanese woman Misao Okawa, who was born in 1898, died today from heart failure at an Osaka nursing home with staff and relatives by her side.
Official Tomohiro Okada said: "She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep. We miss her a lot."
He said Okawa lost her appetite about 10 days ago but until then had been eating well.
The centenarian celebrated her 117th birthday earlier this month, when she revealed that sushi was key to her longevity. Guinness World Records recognised her as the world's oldest person in 2013.
She married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, but he died 12 years later in 1931.
Okawa is survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A 116-year-old US woman, Gertrude Weaver of Arkansas, is now the world's oldest person, according to Los Angeles-based Gerontology Research Group, which keeps records of supercentenarians. She was born on July 4 1898.
Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.
Additional reporting by AP
