Nabi Tajima (田島 ナビ Tajima Nabi, 4 August 1900 – 21 April 2018) was a Japanese supercentenarian. 

She was also the oldest recorded Japanese and Asian person in history and the world's third oldest person ever to be validated by modern standards, behind Jeanne Calment and Sarah Knauss.

She was the last living person certified to have been born in the nineteenth century.

Personal life

Tajima was born in Araki, an area which was then Wan Village, in the westernmost part of Kikaijima Island. From February 2002 until her death, she resided in a nursing home named "Kikaien" (喜界園) in Kikai, Kagoshima.

Her husband, Tominishi Tajima (田島 富二子), died in 1991 at the age of 95 according to some sources or possibly 1992 or 1993 according to others. She had nine children (seven sons and two daughters). In September 2017 she was reported as having around 160 descendants, including great-great-great-grandchildren.

Longevity

Tajima became the oldest living person in Japan on 27 September 2015, upon the death of a 115-year-old anonymous woman who was living in Tokyo. 

On 15 September 2017, upon the death of the 117-year-old Jamaican Violet Brown, Tajima became the oldest living person in the world—and the last surviving person born in the 19th century. On 10 April 2018, Nabi Tajima became the world's third oldest person ever due to surpassing the final age of Lucy Hannah. Others have claimed to be older, but none of these claims have been sufficiently validated.

She stated that her longevity was due to sleeping soundly and eating delicious food.

Death

Tajima died on 21 April 2018 at her home in Kikai, Kagoshima, aged 117 years, 260 days.