Japanese woman graduates from school at age of 91

 RIA Novosti

Vladimir Fedorenko

10/03/2010

A 91-year-old woman has graduated from evening school in southern Japan, the daily Mainichi Simbun paper reported on Wednesday.

The Kobe evening school is for people who failed to receive a secondary education because of difficult circumstances.

"I had to sacrifice a lot and give up a lot," Sidzue Hirai said.

Hirai was orphaned in early childhood and had to start to work at the age of twelve. She married at the age of 18 but her husband was killed in World War Two. After marrying again, her house was destroyed by an earthquake in 2007.

"This school has returned my youth to me. I've received back everything I lost. I would like to continue my education further and I believe this day is to be a start of a new path in my life", she said at a graduation ceremony.

TOKYO, March 10 (RIA Novosti)