Misawo Okawa, seen above in a photograph from Japanese television, is a Japanese supercentenarian who was born on 5 March 1898. At 113 years, 265 days, she is currently the seventh-oldest validated living person and the third-oldest living Japanese. However, an anonymous woman born between 1 October and 31 December 1897, also from Japan, would displace her to official eighth-oldest if she is named and identified.
Misawo Okawa was not revealed by Japanese authorities until September 2011, since they tend to report just the oldest living woman and man in each prefecture. Okawa lives in Osaka prefecture, where Shige Hirooka (16 January 1897 - 29 March 2011) also lived. Hirooka's death in March meant that Okawa was now left as the oldest woman in Osaka, and had to be reported as such.
Okawa's revelation came at around the same time as the relegation of Toshi Horiya (8 November 1897 - fl. 14 September 2010) to limbo status.
Okawa is currently the 101st oldest woman ever and the 109th oldest person ever, one day ahead of Beatrice Farve of the United States (30 April 1895 - 19 January 2009), who died at age 113 years, 264 days as the second-oldest living person, then behind Gertrude Baines of California.