LONG-TIME Saipan resident Aiko Mihara is celebrating her 100th birthday.
Born on April 20, 1922 in Davao, the Philippines to Shigeki and Yuki Hasegawa, Aiko is the eldest of seven children.
She grew up with her sisters, Shizuko and Sachiko, and their brothers Hiroshi, Izumi, Tadashi, Yooichi, and Sekio.
Shizuko, Izumi and Tadashi are still alive today.
At age 7, Aiko moved to Japan for grade school, staying with her uncle.
Her parents and siblings stayed behind in the Philippines to tend to their farming business.
Eventually, they were reunited when her parents and siblings returned to Japan when World War II began.
Aiko grew up in Nagano-ken, Ueda-shi in Central Honshu, Japan.
She later wed Motohiko Mihara and gave birth to a daughter, Mikie.
Unfortunately, Motohiko passed away due to underlying health conditions, when Mikie was around seven or eight years old.
As a single parent, Aiko raised Mikie and worked odd jobs here and there just to make ends meet.
Her longest employment was when she worked as a pharmacy technician for roughly 22 years.
Because medications back in the day were in powder form, and due to the lack of ventilation and proper protection equipment, Aiko lost her sense of smell in her mid-40s.
In the 1990s, she moved to Saipan to live with her only daughter, Mikie, her grandchildren, Mai, Ai, and Jun; and great-grandchildren, Kevin, Yosuke, and Kaito.
Known affectionately as “Obaachan,” she is deeply loved and revered by her family.
Aiko’s eldest granddaughter, Mai Chong Mendiola, shared with Variety fond memories of her grandmother.
“A hundred years ago today, Aiko Mihara, my grandmother, ‘Obaachan,’ from my mother’s side, was born. I remember visiting her in Japan when I was a toddler. It was a moment I cherished since I did not know when I would get to see her again. She is a woman who has shown me more love than I ever needed, and today, I write to share her 100 years of life on Earth. I am sure she would be very happy to fill up this page with her beautiful life stories, but for now, in humble respect for my grandmother, I will keep it brief,” said Mendiola.
“Around 1990, Obaachan decided to move to Saipan to be with her only daughter and spend the rest of her life with us, her family. Conveniently, she was of great help to my parents, as my parents were both working full-time. With Obaachan’s arrival, she became the center of our lives and we learned a lot from her. She taught us how to care for ourselves, how to cook, how to do daily cleaning chores, and so on. Through her, she has taught us courage, strength and resiliency. Now, at 100, we are forever grateful that she is still alive today and still smiling and forever holding her fortitude.”
A family photo taken in Dec. 2021. Top, from left, standing: Kevin Chong, great-grandson; Peter Mendiola, spouse of Mai M.; Yosuke, great-grandson; “Obaachan,” seated; Kaito, great-grandson; Ai Chong, granddaughter; Jun Chong, grandson. Bottom, from left, seated: Isabela Deleon Guerrero; Mikie Chong, daughter; Mai Chong Mendiola, granddaughter; Vicente Tenorio Chong, son-in-law; Jacob Taisacan, fiancé of Ai C.
Aiko Mihara, seated 2nd right, attends her niece’s wedding in Japan in 2013. Also in photo are her relatives.
