World's Oldest Female Barber, Who Held Scissors Until Age 108, Passes Away at 109

Shitsui Hakoishi, who was listed in the Guinness World Records as the world's oldest female barber at the age of 108, passed away on September 1 at a hospital in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, according to TV Asahi and other reports.

She was 109 years old.

Born in November 1916, she moved to Tokyo in 1931 to begin an apprenticeship at a barbershop and obtained her barber's license at the age of 19.

After marrying a fellow barber in 1939, she opened a barbershop in Shinjuku, Tokyo, and raised a son and a daughter.

In 1953, she finally received the news that her husband, who had been drafted into the military in 1944, had been killed in action in Manchuria.

She subsequently ran a barbershop named Hakoishi Barber in Tochigi Prefecture.

After her son entered a university in Tokyo, she lived alone for 54 years.

Having held scissors as an active barber even after turning 108, she was officially recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest female barber in March of last year.

The record for the world's oldest male barber was set by a man in New York, USA, at the age of 107 in 2018 before he passed away at 108.

She herself retired from work in May of last year at the age of 108.

At age 104 in 2021, she participated in the torch relay for the Tokyo Olympics, proudly completing a roughly 200-meter walk alongside her son.

Shueisha Online reported that when asked during an interview on her 109th birthday whether she was glad she chose to become a barber, she answered, My father told me, Even if your husband dies first, women should learn a skill from now on to make a living, which is what made me decide to go to Tokyo. I am truly glad I chose to be a barber, as I was able to open my own shop and make a living on my own. Money comes in every day.

The publication added that the principles Hakoishi valued most in life were not thinking too much, not worrying unnecessarily, always living cheerfully, and doing things for oneself.

Her children also lived resiliently, much like their mother.

Although her daughter suffered from cerebral palsy, she successfully achieved independence and founded the Independent Living Center Tochigi in 2004, an organization supporting independent living for people with disabilities.

Her son, who obtained a barber's license and used to cut his mother's hair, passed away ahead of her last March.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.