April 06, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 28, 1429

TOKYO, April 5: Kaku Yamanaka, Japan’s oldest person, has died of old age in central Japan, officials said on Saturday. She was 113.

Yamanaka died at a hospital where she was taken early on Saturday from her nursing home in Yatomi City in Aichi prefecture (state) after falling ill, an official at her nursing home said on condition of anonymity, citing policy.

Born on Dec 11, 1894, Yamanaka became Japan’s oldest person when Tsuneyo Toyonaga, 113, died in February. It was not immediately clear who had become Japan’s new oldest person, and Health Ministry officials were not available for comment on Saturday.

Yamanaka was known for her love of singing and took part in local karaoke contests, the nursing home official said.

Japan has one of the world’s longest average life spans a factor often attributed to a healthy diet rich in fish and rice. In 2006 Japanese women set a new record for life expectancy at 85.81 years, while men live an average of about 79 years.—AP