The world's oldest person has died a few weeks after celebrating her 117th birthday - after saying her life seemed 'rather short'.

Misao Okawa was surrounded by her family and staff at her nursing home in Osaka, Japan, as she died of heart failure on April 1.

Born on March 5, 1898, the great-grandmother had lived through two World Wars, the invention of the television and the first successful powered aeroplane flight by the Wright Brothers.

The world's oldest person, Misao Okawa of Japan, died on April 1 aged 117. The great-grandmother had only celebrated her most recent birthday on March 5, where she said she thought her life had been 'rather short'

At her 117th birthday party last month Okawa said that her life had seemed 'rather short.'

When asked the secret to long life, she said: 'I wonder about that too.'

Okawa was born in Osaka, west Japan, the fourth daughter of a kimono maker.

She marred her husband, Yukio, in 1919, and they had two daughters and a son. He died in 1931.

The 'super-centenarian', who was only fifth person ever recorded to have reached the age of 117, but was still walking until she was 110.

She was recognised as the world's oldest person by the Guinness World Records in 2013.

Misao Okawa was visited by the Ward Mayor Takehiro Ogura for her birthday part at a nursing home in Osaka, western Japan. She died of heart failure, with an official at her nursing home saying 'She went so peacefully'

'MY LIFE HAS BEEN RATHER SHORT' Misao Okawa, the 117-year-old who died on April 1, lived through the entire 20th century. During her lifetime: - Two World Wars took place - and the atomic bomb was dropped on her home nation, Japan - The television and internet were invented - The Wright Brothers carried out the first ever powered flight of an aeroplane - Albert Einstein announced his theory of relativity, and Ernest Rutherford split the atom - Space travel was invented - There has been 23 different British Prime Ministers and 21 US Presidents Advertisement

Until 10 days ago nursing staff said she was eating well, enjoying her daily cup of coffee and her favourite dishes, including ramen.

Tomohiro Okada, an official at the nursing home, praised her for achieving such a long and healthy life.

'She went so peacefully, as if she had just fallen asleep', Okada said. 'We will miss her a lot.'

Gertrude Weaver, aged 116, is now the world's oldest person, according to Los Angeles-based Geronotology Research Group,

The American, who lives in Arkansas, was born on July 4, 1898.

In an interview with Time Magazine in 2014, when she was named America's oldest woman, she said the secret to long life is kindness.

'Treat people right and be nice to other people the way you want them to be nice to you', she said.

The new oldest person in the world, American Gertrude Weaver, is aged 116 and lives in Arkansas. Speaking in 2014, she said the secret to long life is kindness, saying: 'Treat people nice and be nice to other people'

The Guinness World Records announced Okawa was the oldest person in the world in 2003. Until 10 days ago nursing staff sad she had a normal appetite and enjoyed a daily cup of coffee and ramen noodles.

'The Lord blessed me, I think, because I’m good to my family and good to my children and grandchildren. And I feed them.'

Japan's oldest person is now a 115-year-old Tokyo woman, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

The name of the woman, who was born March 15, 1900, was not released at the request of her family, the ministry said.

Japan has the most centenarians in the world, with more than 58,000, according to the government. About 87 percent of them are women.