Her nursing home says Misao Okawa died of heart failure early Wednesday.
Okawa, born in Osaka on March 5, 1898, was recognized as the world's oldest person by Guinness World Records in 2013.
Her Osaka nursing home says she lost her appetite about 10 days ago. She stopped breathing as her grandson and nursing home officials attended.
Okawa, the daughter of a kimono maker, said at a birthday celebration last month that her life seemed rather short.
Okawa married her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and they had three children — two daughters and a son. She was survived by four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Her husband died in 1931.
Related story
Italy's Emma Morano, the world's oldest person, dies at 117
