The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa, has died in Japan a month after celebrating her 117th birthday.

The nursing home where she lived in Osaka said she died around 7:00am (local time).

On the occasion of her birthday early last month Ms Okawa — a mother of three, grandmother of four and great-grandmother of six — was one of only a handful of people still alive who had been born in the 19th century.

When she turned 114, she was officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest woman on the globe.

Japan, known for the longevity of its people, is home to the world's oldest man — Sakari Momoi, who celebrated his 112th birthday in February.

In 2013 life expectancy for women in Japan was 86.61, the longest in the world, followed by Hong Kong women, according to the health ministry.

For men it was 80.21, the fourth longest, after men in Hong Kong, Iceland and Switzerland.

The world's oldest person is now believed to be American Gertrude Weaver, who is reportedly 116 years old.

(Foreign Media)