Misao Ookawa, of the western Japanese city of Osaka was on Wednesday officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as the oldest woman alive at 114 years old.

Born to a clothing merchant in 1898, also the year of the Spanish-American war, Ookawa is due to celebrate her 115th birthday next week on March 5th.

Asked how it felt to be the world's oldest woman, the wheelchair-ridden supercentenarian was brief but to the point.

"Given everything, it's pretty good," she said in a local western Japanese dialect and through a family member clarifying her comment.

Japanese media report that she's never had a major illnesses in her life, and only travels in a wheelchair to prevent her from falling over, though local media report she is now more prone to falling asleep in her wheelchair these days.

Ookawa married in 1919 and currently has three children, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.