Born in 1893 in Fukuchi in the southwestern Japan prefecture, she was widowed early and raised her five children by selling flowers and vegetables in a coal mining town.

Minagawa now has a daughter, six grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

While she now spends a lot of time in bed, Minagawa is in good spirits and asks about the well-being of nursing home staffers and jokes with them, nursing home staff said.

She loves sweets but often gives them away whenever others are around her. On the days she feels well, she participates in club activities in a wheelchair and moves her body along to music, they said.