Shitsui Hakoishi graciously greeted a pair of scientists at her home-cum-barber shop in a rural community in Tochigi Prefecture one morning in late November.

¡°Thank you for coming despite your busy schedule,¡± were her first words.

The petite woman with short hair, who still practices as a barber, is 107 years old. Though she complains of knee pains, she stands with a straight back. Her mind is alert, and she smiles a lot.