The world 's oldest person is set to celebrate her 117th birthday , but says that despite her age , her life has seemed rather short . Misao Okawa was born in Osaka , Japan , on March 5 , 1898 , was recognized as the world 's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013 . Mrs Okawa said she still does not know how she has lived for so long , but has previously credited her longevity to eight hours sleep , eating sushi , and doing squats until the age of 102 . Scroll down for video . Long life : The world 's oldest person , Japanese Misao Okawa , born on March 5 , 1898 , says she does not know how she has lived for so long . 'It seemed rather short , ' she said after an Osaka government official asked how she felt about living for 117 years , adding that she is 'very happy ' to be that age . Asked for the secret of her longevity , the great-grandmother responded nonchalantly , ' I wonder about that too . ' During the celebrations of her 116th birthday last year , Mrs Okawa said : 'Eat and sleep and you will live a long time . You have to learn to relax . ' The head of Mrs Okawa 's retirement home added that she 'eats three large meals a day , sleeps eight hours a night , and insists that her favourite meal is sushi , particularly mackerel on vinegar-steamed rice . ' The great-grandmother has slowed in recent months and has trouble hearing but she eats well and is in good health , the Osaka care home said today . Japan 's Misao Okawa , poses with her son , grand children and great-grandchildren and Ward Mayor Takehiro Ogura , right , at her nursing home in Osaka , western Japan . Despite saying today that she does now know why she has lived for 117 years , Mrs Okawa has previously credited her longevity to eight hours sleep , eating sushi , and doing squats until the age of 102 . She is also known to have made every attempt to stay active for as long as possible , and revealed in an interview 15 years ago , aged 102 , that she does leg squats 'to keep her body in shape ' . Mrs Okawa married her husband , Yukio , in 1919 , and they had three children — two daughters and a son . The following things took place in 1898 : . January 1 : The City of Greater New York is created through the annexation of land . April 25 : The starts of the Spanish-American War ( ended August 12 after 3,5 months of fighting ) July 7 : The United States annexes the Hawaiian Islands . August 23 : The Southern Cross Expedition to Antarctica set sail from London . August 28 : An American man named Caleb Bradham registers a soft drink - Pepsi-Cola . December 26 : Marie Curie and her husband Pierre discovers radium . Mrs Okawa says that the happiest moments of her life were her wedding and the birth of her children – she still has a surviving son and daughter who are now 94 and 92 . She now has four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren . Her husband died in 1931 . Mrs Okawa , the daughter of a kimono maker , was recognized as the world 's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013 . Experts say it is no surprise that Mrs Okawa is Japanese . The nation has the most centenarians in the world , with more than 58,000 , according to the government . About 87 percent of them are women . They say it is down to an excellent healthcare system , encouragement to stay active in old age and a healthy diet made up of fish , rice and fruit . The life expectancy for a Japanese woman is almost 86 years while the average for a Japanese man is 79.6 years .
Misao Okawa was born in Osaka , western Japan on March 5 , 1898 . The 117-year-old claims not to know why she has lived so long . She is the oldest person ever recorded by Guinness World Records and one of only two people who have been alive for over 100 years.