Ballyheigue native meets the world’s oldest person

IT’S not every day that you get the chance to meet a 115-yearold, let alone the holder of the title of ‘World’s Oldest Person’.

For Ballyheigue native Michael Gerald Stack and his friend, Sam Green, however, this is just what happened two weeks ago when they met 115-year old Kane Tanaka, who was born in Japan back in 1903. They were filming on the island of Fukouka in Japan.

Michael has lived over in California for almost 30 years but regularly travels home to Kerry to see his parents, Michael and Mary.

Michael was helping Sam with his documentary, which is focused on meeting and recording as many of the world’s oldest people as possible, when they met Kane.

“These days, when you’re with the oldest person in the world, you have to ask for a photo,” Sam laughed when explaining to The Kerryman how the photo came about.

“She’s such a funny lady, and I love that photo with Michael’s big head – and she’s so little, then.

“There’s just something warm about the shot,” Sam continued.

As for the lady herself, Sam said that when asked about her secret to a long life, this is what she told them:

“Sleep, family, not thinking too much about things and playing the game ‘Othello’, is what she told us and I loved it; it was such a great answer,” Sam added.

Ballyheigue’s Michael Gerald Stack pictured meeting 115-year-old Kane Tanaka in Fukouka, Japan, two weeks ago. Ms Tanaka is the oldest person in the world.

Documentary filmmaker Sam Green is making a documentary on the oldest living people in the world.