Their sharp wit and enthusiasm for life fascinated the viewing public. When the twins made their first trip abroad in 1995, visiting Taiwan, the event was intensively covered by the Japanese media. The two were widely believed to be Japan's oldest twins, though an official at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare couldn't confirm that. She died peacefully of old age early Wednesday at home, said Yoshinao Kanie, one of her grandsons. She had been bedridden since early February, he added.
Gin is survived by four children, five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The average life expectancy in Japan is 84 years for women and 77 years for men, one of the highest in the world for both sexes. As of the end of September, there were about 13,000 centenarians in Japan.