Misao Okawa, a Japanese woman believed to be the world's oldest person, died at the age of 117 toda.

She celebrated her 117th birthday just weeks ago, on March 5.

Japanese media said she died of old age in a nursing home in the western Japanese city of Osaka.

Okawa was officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest person alive two years ago when Jiroemon Kimura, also from Japan, died in June 2013 at age 116 years, 54 days.

The title of the oldest person now goes to Gertrude Weave of the United States who will turn 117 on July 4 this year, Japanese media reported.

Born the daughter of a fabric merchant in Osaka in 1898, on the same day as Chinese revolutionary leader Zhou Enlai, Okawa married in 1919 and had three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Japanese media reported that she never had major illnesses in her life.

Japan has more than 58,000 centenarians, according to government data released in September 2014.