Tatsuhiro Ōshiro

Tatsuhiro Ōshiro (1925-2020) was a pioneering Okinawan novelist and playwright born in Nakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan. He became the first Okinawan author to win the prestigious Akutagawa Prize in 1967 for his novella The Cocktail Party, which explored the psychological impacts of U.S. military occupation and was later adapted into a play and film. Throughout his career, he authored numerous works addressing Okinawan identity, history, and culture, revived the traditional Ryukyuan kumi odori dance form by composing twenty new pieces, and served as director of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum from 1983 to 1986.Tatsuhiro Ōshiro Ryukyu Shimpo Obituary