File uploader
There are 5 people born in the Meiji era worldwide
When hearing "born in the Meiji era," many people envision a long-ago time. The Meiji era ended in 1912, so there are hardly any people born during that time left today.
However, as of September 2026, among the confirmed and recognized individuals, there are still 5 people born in the Meiji era.
Moreover, these 5 individuals are not only from Japan. They live in various countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Japan, and France.
This article introduces the 5 living individuals born in the Meiji era, along with their birthdays and nationalities.
List of 5 people born in the Meiji era
| Name | Date of Birth | Country | Japanese Era Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethel Keta Ham | August 21, 1909 | United Kingdom | Meiji 42 |
| Naomi Whitehead | September 26, 1910 | United States | Meiji 43 |
| Lucia Laura Sanginito | November 22, 1910 | Italy | Meiji 43 |
| Fuyo Kishimoto | December 20, 1911 | Japan | Meiji 44 |
| Madeleine Delamonica | July 23, 1912 | France | Meiji 45 |
When arranged by their birthdates, these 5 individuals were born in Meiji 42, Meiji 43, Meiji 43, Meiji 44, and Meiji 45. This means that there have been continuous survivors from Meiji 42 to Meiji 45 up to the present.
The first person is the world's oldest, Ethel Keta Ham
Ethel May Keta Ham is a British citizen born on August 21, 1909. In the Japanese era, this corresponds to Meiji 42.
After Inna Kanavaro Lucas passed away on April 30, 2025, she became the world's oldest living person. Later, on August 21, 2026, she celebrated her 117th birthday.
According to records from current age verification organizations, Ms. Keta Ham is also the last surviving person born in the 1900s. In other words, she is the last confirmed survivor among those born from 1900 to 1909.
Additionally, it is interesting to note the year Ms. Keta Ham was born, 1909.
Ms. Keta Ham, born on August 21, 1909, was born during the time when Hirobumi Ito was still alive. Hirobumi Ito passed away on October 26, 1909, which was about two months after Ms. Keta Ham's birth.
Moreover, Ms. Keta Ham was born before the Korean Empire was annexed by Japan. The Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty came into effect on August 29, 1910, so being born in 1909 means she has lived through from before that time to the present.
It is a very rare case that someone born at the end of the Meiji era is still alive in 2026, allowing one to truly feel the depth of history.
The second person is Naomi Whitehead from the United States
Naomi Whitehead is an American born on September 26, 1910. In the Japanese era, this corresponds to Meiji 43.
She was born on a farm in Georgia and was known to help harvest cotton and tobacco with her family when she was young. Later, she married Sylvester Whitehead and had three sons.
Since October 2024, Ms. Whitehead has been the oldest living person in the United States and occupies a very high rank in the world in 2026.
She is also an important figure in terms of being born in the Meiji era. Being a living person born in 1910, she is currently the last individual from the Meiji era confirmed in the Americas.
Meiji 43 corresponds to 1910, but it is not just Ms. Whitehead who was born this year. The next person to be introduced, Lucia Laura Sanginito, is also born in 1910.
The third person is Lucia Laura Sanginito from Italy
Lucia Laura Sanginito is an Italian born on November 22, 1910. This, in Japanese era terms, also corresponds to Meiji 43.
She was born in Sturno, Campania, southern Italy, and lived working in agriculture while also known for assisting as a midwife for local children.
Ms. Sanginito is confirmed by institutions that investigate and verify the ages of long-lived individuals. She is still alive in Italy and is known as the oldest person in Italy.
What is particularly interesting about her is that the Meiji 43-born is not the "last person in the world".
This is because both Naomi Whitehead, born on September 26, 1910, and Sanginito, born on November 22, 1910, are still alive today.
Thus, the last survivors are Ms. Keta Ham from Meiji 42, Fuyo Kishimoto from Meiji 44, and Madeleine Delamonica from Meiji 45, but there are two remaining for Meiji 43, making it a rare situation.
The fourth person is Japan's last Meiji-born, Fuyo Kishimoto
Fuyo Kishimoto is a Japanese born on December 20, 1911. In the Japanese era, this corresponds to Meiji 44.
She was born in Hamazaka, Hyogo, and later moved to Kyoto. It is known that she worked at a school lunch center and continued to work until her mid-80s. She was mentioned to have led a life of commuting long distances from a young age.
Following the death of Shigeko Kagawa at the age of 115 in August 2026, Ms. Kishimoto became the oldest person currently in Japan.
Furthermore, not only in Japan but also in all of Asia, she is the last confirmed living person born in the Meiji era.
This means that when Ms. Kishimoto passes away, it will not only mark the end of individuals born in the Meiji era in Japan but also mark the end of confirmed Meiji-born individuals in Asia.
Given that a generation that directly knows the late Meiji era is still living in Japan, she could be considered an extremely valuable presence.
The fifth person is Madeleine Delamonica, born in Meiji 45
Madeleine Delamonica is a French citizen born on July 23, 1912.
Some may think, "Isn't 1912 a Taisho era?" However, Emperor Meiji passed away on July 30, 1912.
Thus, Ms. Delamonica, born on July 23, 1912, was born at a timing that only seven days later, the Meiji era would end.
In the Japanese era, this corresponds to Meiji 45.
Ms. Delamonica is also known as a historian and Egyptologist from France, having studied Egyptology at the École du Louvre and published works regarding ancient Egypt.
Currently, there are multiple confirmed survivors born in 1912. However, most of them were born after July 30, 1912, and therefore fall into the Taisho era category.
This means that among the living individuals born in 1912, Ms. Delamonica is the only person that corresponds to Meiji 45.
While there are multiple individuals categorized under "born in 1912", under "born in Meiji 45", there is just one. This distinction adds to the intrigue of examining birthdates through the lens of Japanese era names.
Comparing the times of the 5 Meiji-born individuals
When lining up the birth years of these 5 individuals, it shows that they were born within a span of just about three years.
- 1909: Ethel Keta Ham
- 1910: Naomi Whitehead
- 1910: Lucia Laura Sanginito
- 1911: Fuyo Kishimoto
- 1912: Madeleine Delamonica
However, looking back from 2026, 1909 was 117 years ago, and 1912 was 114 years ago.
When Ethel Keta Ham was born in 1909, Hirobumi Ito was still alive. When Madeleine Delamonica was born in 1912, Emperor Meiji was still in reign.
These five individuals are not merely those who have lived beyond 100 years, but people who lived through the Meiji era itself.
Fewer people born in the Meiji era will be around in the future
While it is not uncommon for people over 100 years old nowadays, the number drops significantly for those over 110, termed "super-centenarians."
Adding the requirement of being born in the Meiji era narrows it down to just 5 individuals.
As all 5 of them are already over 110 years old, it is inevitable that the number of living individuals born in the Meiji era will continue to decrease.
Especially considering the records for the last survivors from Meiji 42 to Meiji 45 will also change going forward.
It should be noted that the ages of Super Centenarians are not publicly confirmed for all individuals. Therefore, this discussion is based on confirmed individuals according to longevity research institutions.
If you want to share photos or documents, use UploadF
When researching historical figures, one might want to share old photos, documents, comparison images, and more with someone.
In such situations, a convenient option is the free file uploader UploadF.
uploadf.com can be used on both PCs and smartphones, and files can be uploaded without the need for member registration.
You can upload multiple files at once, and it supports drag & drop, making it convenient when you want to share a collection of images or documents.
Moreover, the file storage period can be set from one day to unlimited, and passwords can be set to allow only specific individuals to access the files. You can also delete unnecessary files individually.
When uploading images, features for online image editing, OCR, color code extraction, etc., are also available. It supports features like mosaics to obscure parts of images, resizing, cropping, rotation, and background transparency.
For sharing historical images, travel photos, screenshots, or any small files, it can be used as a free and easy-to-use file-sharing service.
Conclusion
As of September 2026, among the individuals whose ages are confirmed and recognized, there are 5 living individuals born in the Meiji era worldwide.
- Ethel Keta Ham: Born August 21, 1909, from the United Kingdom
- Naomi Whitehead: Born September 26, 1910, from the United States
- Lucia Laura Sanginito: Born November 22, 1910, from Italy
- Fuyo Kishimoto: Born December 20, 1911, from Japan
- Madeleine Delamonica: Born July 23, 1912, from France
From the world’s oldest born in Meiji 42 to Delamonica from Meiji 45, each of the 5 has unique characteristics that can be dubbed "the last person born in the Meiji era."
These five are a very rare link from the Meiji era to 2026. It will also be interesting to see how their generation is recorded in the future.
Top Help Contact 🌐Language