'Only One Day Off a Month'... 92-Year-Old Japanese Woman Becomes World's Oldest Female Newspaper Delivery Person

A 92-year-old Japanese woman who has been delivering newspapers every dawn for over 30 years has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the "world's oldest female newspaper delivery person."

On the 27th, Guinness World Records announced that Yoshie Watanabe, a 92-year-old resident of Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, was recently officially certified as the world's oldest female newspaper delivery person. The previous record was held by an 88-year-old woman from the United Kingdom.

A 92-year-old Japanese woman who has been delivering newspapers every dawn for over 30 years was recognized as the "world's oldest female newspaper delivery person" and entered into the Guinness World Records. guinnessworldrecords

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Born on April 6, 1934, as one of nine siblings, Watanabe began delivering newspapers by chance at the age of 58. She recalled, "The local newspaper distribution center asked if I could help with deliveries," adding, "At the time, I didn't have any particular work, so I took on the job." What started by chance has now continued for 34 years.

Watanabe leaves her house without fail every morning at 4 a.m. Her delivery route is about 1.5 km, and it takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to deliver newspapers to every household. She refers to the cart she uses to carry newspapers as her "faithful companion instead of a cane." Even when the weather is bad, Watanabe never stops her deliveries. On days with heavy snowfall when she cannot use her cart, she carries the newspapers on her back. Since she cannot carry all the newspapers at once, she has to walk the same route twice, but she says she cannot skip work when she thinks of the residents waiting for their morning papers.

Mr. Watanabe leaves his house without fail every day at 4 a.m. His delivery route is about 1.5 km, and it takes approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes to deliver newspapers to every household. guinnessworldrecords

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Watanabe has only one day off per month. Having worked almost without a break for a long period since she started delivering newspapers, she said, "Working and being helpful to people gives my life meaning." Regarding waking up early in the morning, she commented, "It's always been my nature, so it's not difficult." Delivering newspapers has also helped Watanabe get closer to her community. She shared that after moving to the area and starting this job, greeting and talking with neighbors along her route helped her get to know the neighborhood better.

Even when Guinness visited to present her with the certificate, the weather was windy and cold, but Watanabe calmly remarked, "I always dress warmly, so it's fine." When asked how she felt about setting a world record, she said, "It's just what I do every day," and added, "I think of it as going out for a walk." Finally, Watanabe said, "I don't quite feel like I'm number one in the world. I'm surprised to be recognized, but nothing changes. I will simply continue doing what I've always done every day."

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