Hiroshi Shō

Who was Hiroshi Shō?

Hiroshi Shō was the head of the Shō family, the Okinawan former royal family. He was the great-grandson of Shō Tai, the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, and was the last member of the family to hold the title of marquis. Like most members of the kazoku system of peerage, and all heads of the Shō family since the abolition of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, he lived in Tokyo for his whole life.

Hiroshi Shō was born the eldest son of Shō Shō. Upon his father's death in 1923, he became head of the family and inherited the title of marquis. He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University earning a degree in East Asian history from the Department of Literature, and served for a time as a captain in the Japanese Imperial Navy. He was also active in the business world, working with various institutions, including Shō Enterprises, where he was representative director. He lost his title, as did all other members of the kazoku system of peerage, with the implementation of the post-war Constitution of Japan in 1947.

Late in life, in the 1990s, Hiroshi Shō donated many Shō family possessions, including artworks, ritual objects, historical documents, the royal mausoleum of Tamaudun and royal gardens of Shikinaen to the City of Naha. He also donated artworks, documents, and other family possessions to the city of Urasoe and village of Izena.