A 108-year-old Japanese woman has been honoured by the Guinness World Records as the “world’s oldest female barber”, having dedicated 94 years to her craft and continues to inspire many on social media. On March 5, the centenarian Shitsui Hakoishi, who operates a barbershop in Nakagawa, Tochigi Prefecture, received this prestigious recognition from the Guinness World Records. Hakoishi embarked on her nine-decade-long career in 1931 when she left her hometown for Tokyo, becoming an apprentice at a small salon and obtaining her barber’s licence at the age of 20. Later, she married and opened her own barbershop with her husband in Tokyo in 1939. However, her life took a tragic turn during World War II when she lost her husband and her salon was destroyed in an air raid. Despite the hardships, she refused to bow to fate. In 1953, she returned to Nakagawa and established another barbershop. Today, she continues to provide hairdressing services to a few loyal customers each month, stating that she “has no plans to stop working.” In 2020, Hakoishi was proudly chosen as a torch-bearer for the Tokyo Olympics. She walked more than 1,000 steps every day while carrying a pole equivalent in weight to the torch for practice. “At the moment when I raised the torch, I felt truly alive,” she recalled. Hakoishi attributes her remarkable longevity to maintaining a healthy diet consisting of light food and performing dozens of routine exercises each morning, such as strolling, shoulder movements, and leg stretches. She expressed that achieving a Guinness World Record had been her goal in recent years, and she felt immense joy upon reaching it. She attended the ceremony with her two children: her son, who also earned his barber’s licence and penned a book chronicling her life, and her daughter, who volunteers to support individuals with disabilities while living with cerebral palsy herself. During the award ceremony, Hakoishi shared her excitement: “I’m truly overwhelmed with happiness. I’m grateful to everyone in the community. Life has been full of hardships since my youth, but now I’m truly happy. I will continue as long as I can.” She also imparted her life philosophy: “Hold no grudges, feel no jealousy, and engage in no quarrels,” a lesson from her mother that has kept her positive and optimistic throughout her decades of challenges. Her resilience and zest for life have inspired many online. One individual commented: “It’s not just about health; it’s imperative to have a purpose every day.” Another added: “Not only has she lived a long life, but it’s remarkable that she remains so clear-headed, able to work and communicate so effectively at her age.”