Reading Okinawa

Ōshiro, Tatsuhiro. “Nisei.” Kakuteru Pati [Cocktail Party]. Tokyo: Bungei Shunji, 1967. 7–70.

1. Introduction

“Nisei” was first published in Okinawa Bungaku in 1957 and later republished in Kakuteru Pati alongside several other short stories in 1967. The story centers on Henry Toma, a Japanese-American who struggles with the tension between his dual identities. Although Ōshiro did not directly experience the Battle of Okinawa because he was in Shanghai at the time, the story offers a distinctive perspective on the war by focusing on a Japanese-American soldier who feels loyalty toward both the United States and Okinawa.

2. Character List


Henry Toma　ヘンリー・当間盛一

Henry is a twenty-year-old Japanese-American born in Hawai‘i. During the Battle of Okinawa, he serves as an interpreter in the U.S. Army. He feels deep affection for Okinawa because his parents once lived there, yet he is also eager to demonstrate his loyalty to the United States.

Arasaki Kenji　新崎憲治

Arasaki is a forty-year-old Okinawan man who taught geography and history before the war. Henry asks him to help persuade Okinawans to leave the trenches. Arasaki understands Henry’s emotional conflict and wants to assist him in finding his brother.

Seiji Toma　当間盛次

Seiji is Henry’s fifteen-year-old younger brother, born in Okinawa. He lives with his grandmother and uncle and fights with the Japanese army as part of the resistance against the American invasion. Although the brothers were close in childhood, their relationship deteriorates as a result of the war.

John Yamashiro　ジョン・山城

Yamashiro is another Japanese-American soldier. Unlike Henry, he does not identify with Japan. However, despite his hostility toward the Japanese, other American soldiers still do not fully accept him as American.

3. Plot Summary

Section 1 (7–27)

Near the end of the Battle of Okinawa, Henry is summoned to his captain’s office. The captain emphasizes Henry’s importance as a Japanese-American soldier and orders him to persuade Okinawans hiding in trenches to surrender. Henry seeks out Arasaki, a former teacher now assisting at the camp. Henry admires Arasaki and trusts him deeply, even though Arasaki once remarked that he would kill Henry if Henry were a Japanese soldier—a comment that leaves a strong impression on Henry, who struggles to connect with other soldiers. Henry visits Arasaki’s home at night and asks him to accompany him to the trenches. During dinner, Arasaki’s daughter asks about Henry’s brother. Henry explains that his brother was born in Okinawa when Henry was six and does not know that Henry has returned as an American soldier.

Section 2 (27–52)

Henry and Arasaki leave the camp together. Henry feels encouraged by Arasaki’s agreement, while Arasaki enjoys the brief freedom of being outside the camp. As they drive, both men remain silent, absorbed in their thoughts. Arasaki looks at the devastated landscape and feels sorrow, while Henry fantasizes about becoming a hero and reuniting dramatically with his brother. He recalls his mother’s words: “When you’re in Okinawa, you’re an Okinawan. When you’re in America, you’re American” (32), which reassures him. When the ocean comes into view, Arasaki feels even more distant from both his hometown and Henry. Remembering his wife’s advice, Arasaki tells Henry that he hopes Henry can find his brother, then realizes the remark sounds bitter. Henry grips the steering wheel without responding. Soon after, Henry spots a wounded man lying in a field. Although Arasaki urges him to continue to the trench, Henry insists on taking the man to a hospital. On the way, Arasaki reads the nametag and realizes the injured soldier is Henry’s brother, Seiji.

Section 3 (52–70)

Henry reacts with fear rather than relief. Seeing Seiji’s face reminds him of their grandmother. Unable to face the reality that his brother is not as he imagined, Henry wants to return to the trench. Although Arasaki tries to stop him, Henry leaves. A week later, Seiji recovers, and Henry tells Arasaki that he will no longer go to the trenches. Arasaki is disappointed but hopes the brothers can spend time together. Henry later visits Seiji at the hospital to say he is returning to the trench. At first relieved, Henry is shocked when Seiji angrily accuses him of responsibility for their grandmother’s death. Overcome with emotion, Henry leaves in tears. He realizes that although he loves both Okinawa and his brother, he no longer understands either. Later, Henry witnesses two American soldiers assaulting a woman. He wants to save her as a way of redeeming himself, but she escapes, reminding him of Seiji. Henry chases after her, crying.

Commentary:

When first published, the story attracted significant attention. At the time, most war narratives focused on Okinawan suffering from the Okinawan perspective. “Nisei,” however, centers on a Japanese-American soldier, offering a rare and fresh viewpoint. Many readers were unaware of Nisei experiences similar to Henry’s. The story explores themes of Nisei identity and familial conflict during wartime. Although Henry wants to help Okinawans, he is also part of the invading American force. While he saves lives by persuading people to leave the trenches, his primary motivation is finding his brother. His imagined reunion ultimately collapses, highlighting the emotional cost of divided loyalties.

4. Setting

The story begins on June 23, 1945, at the end of the Battle of Okinawa. Henry works at a prisoner-of-war camp located in central Okinawa. According to the Okinawa Times, the camp referred to as “R” (7) likely corresponds to the Ryukyu Command Headquarters, known as “Rycom.” Since many Okinawans were still hiding in trenches, Henry travels south with Arasaki. They pass Arasaki’s hometown, possibly Tomigusuku, which overlooks two islands—likely Tokashiki and Zamami. The Tomigusuku City official website confirms that a large prisoner camp once existed in Iraha.

5. Point of View

“Nisei” is narrated in the third person with a limited focus on Henry and Arasaki. Early on, readers see Henry’s internal conflict as a Japanese-American and his longing for his brother. Midway through the story, the perspective shifts to Arasaki, whose outlook on the war is more grounded and somber. While Henry dreams of heroism, Arasaki recognizes the irreversible destruction caused by the war. Notably, Seiji’s perspective is never shown, emphasizing the emotional and experiential distance between the brothers.

6. Symbolism and Imagery


Kamekōbaka　亀甲墓

Kamekōbaka are turtleback-shaped family tombs that house ancestral bones. During the war, many Okinawans sheltered in these graves. Henry asks Arasaki to accompany him to a grave, knowing that Okinawans there would see him as an American soldier. Okinawan belief holds that ancestors offer protection, and Ōshiro explores this symbolism further in his short story “Kamekōbaka.”
 
Taima　神様

Henry recounts how Okinawans pray to Taima, a god believed to ensure victory. While Henry learned in Okinawa that Taima was sacred, his American teacher later dismissed it as superstition. Seiji, however, deeply believes in Taima and Japan’s cause. This contrast reveals the brothers’ ideological divide from the outset.

 
7. Historical Background


Nisei and the Battle of Okinawa

According to Masanori Nakahodo, many soldiers in the Battle of Okinawa were Japanese-Americans from Hawai‘i. While thousands were interned in camps, many others enlisted to prove loyalty to the United States. After Pearl Harbor, more than ten thousand Japanese-Americans applied for military service, and some were deployed to Okinawa.

8. Cultural Background

Okinawa was the only region in Japan to experience a ground battle during World War II. As depicted in the story, Okinawans faced discrimination during the war. Since then, Okinawa has developed significantly, aided in part by U.S. investment. U.S. military bases—comprising about 75% of those in Japan—have strongly influenced Okinawan culture. These circumstances have led Okinawans to value their distinct identity, a process that ironically began with the devastation of the Battle of Okinawa.

9. Criticism

Yanai, Takashi. “Ōshiro Tatsuhiro no bungakukeisei to Ryūdai bungaku no sayō: 1950 nendai no Okinawa bungaku o megutte.” Hōsei University Okinawa Cultural Research Institute, March 2019.

Yanai argues that “Nisei” not only depicts the role of Nisei interpreters but also introduces Okinawan culture through an unusual narrative stance for the 1950s. The story illustrates Henry’s conflicts with Okinawans, fellow Nisei, and American soldiers. Yanai suggests that Ōshiro heard similar accounts directly from Nisei in postwar Okinawa, indicating a personal connection to such experiences.

Ōshiro, Tatsuhiro. “Okinawa to iu basho kara: watashi no bungaku.” Rikkyo University, 2012. 7–13.

Ōshiro was aware that many Japanese-Americans fought for the United States despite their immigrant background. Stories of Nisei soldiers rejected by family members inspired him to write “Nisei,” which examines fractured identity and loyalty.

 

10. Themes

Nisei Identity and Conflict with Okinawa

The story foregrounds Henry’s struggle as a Japanese-American caught between cultures. Through Arasaki, Ōshiro shows that even sympathetic Okinawans view Henry as an outsider. Meanwhile, Henry also feels disconnected from other Nisei like Yamashiro, and neither is fully accepted by American soldiers. Henry’s inability to understand Seiji’s beliefs and practices further highlights his fractured identity. Ultimately, Henry realizes that he belongs nowhere.
 
Family Conflict during War

The central conflict lies in the brothers’ broken relationship. Though once close, they grew up in different cultural and political contexts. Seiji’s accusation that Henry caused their grandmother’s death devastates Henry. Although Henry saves Seiji’s life, the war permanently damages their bond. The reunion Henry dreamed of instead exposes the deep emotional scars left by war.
 

11. Discussion Questions
 
1. Why does the captain tell Henry to help talk Okinawan people out of the trenches? Why can’t other American soldiers do this work? How does Henry view the captain?
 
2. Why does Arasaki accept Henry’s request? If you were Arasaki, what would you have done? How does Arasaki view Henry?
 
3. Why can’t Henry get along with the other Japanese-American soldier? How does Yamashiro deal with his Japanese-American identity?
 
4. What role does Arasaki play in the story? What effect does he have on Henry?
 
5. How would the story change if told from Seiji’s point of view? How does Seiji view his brother?
 
6. If you were Henry, how would you feel about Okinawa? If you were Seiji, how would you view Americans?
 
7. Why did Henry join the US military? Do you think he truly loves Okinawa and his brother? Why or why not?
 
8. If you were the protagonist, how would you have felt when your brother rejected you? How would you have felt if you were Henry’s brother?
 
9. Do you think Henry and Seiji will be able to fix their relationship again after the Battle of Okinawa? Why or why not? 
 
10. Why does Ōshiro want to teach us about Japanese-America relations through Henry’s story?
 
 

12. Works Cited
 
Goya, Minako. “Ōshiro Tatsuhiro mihappyousakuhinnitsuite: Okinawa to hondo no kankakutekisōi ni tyakumokusite” [Ōshiro Tatsuhiro unpublished works: To pay attention to a sensuous difference between Okinawa and the mainland]. Japan 2015. Print.
 
Matsushita, Yūichi. “Sakka Ōshiro Tatsuhiro no tachiba kettei: bungakujō no shakaigaku no shiten kara” [Sociological Analysis of Position-taking in the Literary Field: The Case of Ōshiro Tatsuhiro]. Mita Journal of Sociology, 2011. Print.
 
Nakahodo, Masanori. “Nikkei Niseitati to Okinawasen” [ Japanese-American and Battle of Okinawa]. Ryukyuan and Asian Studies Review: Bulletin of the Faculty of Law and Letters University of the Ryukyus, 31 March 2018.
 
---. Kindai Okinawa bungaku no tenkai [Development of Modern Okinawa literature]. San-ichi Shōbō, 1981.
 
---. Okinawa bungaku no hyakunen [One hundred Years of Okinawa Literature]. Border ink, 2018.
 
Ōshiro, Tatsuhiro. Kakuteru Pati. [Cocktail Party]. Tokyo: Bungei Shunji, 1967.
 
---.  “Kamekōbaka.” Kakuteru pātī. Tokyo: Rironsha, 1982. 7-66.
 
---. “Rēru no mukō” [Beyond the rail]. Rēru no mukō. Tokyo: Shinchosha, 2015.
 
---. “Okinawa to iu basho kara: watashi no bungaku” [From an Okinawan Perspective: My Literary Itinerary.] Tokyo: Rikkyo University Press, 2012.
 
Okinawa Times Plus. “Beigun sireibu no namae ga timei ni, Okinawaken kitanakagusukuson.” [The High Command of the US was named Rycom]. 31 March 2018.
 
Ryūkyū shimpo Web News. “Ōshiro Tatsuhiroshi ga shikyō Okinawahatsuno Akutagawasyōsakka kyūzyūgosai” [Ōshiro Tatsuhiro passed away, the first Akutagawa prize in Okinawa]. 28 October 2020.
 
Takeyama, Umenori, “Okinawakarafuhene Ōshiro Tatsuhiro sensou to bunka sanbusakutoiukuwadate” [The Pursuit of Universality from Okinawa: Oshiro's Challenge in “War and Culture Trilogy”]. The Meiji Gakuin Sociology and Social Welfare Review, March 2010.
 
Tomigusuku City Official Web site. “Irahashuyōjo.” 22 June 2020.
 
Wikipedia contributors. “Kamekōbaka.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 10 Nov 2017.
 
Yanai, Takashi. “Ōshiro Tatsuhiro no bungaku keisei to Ryūdai bungaku no sayou: 1950 nendaino Okinawa bungakuwo megutte” [Ōshiro Tatsuhiro’s literary formation and the action of Ryūdai literature: About Okinawa literature in the 1950s]. Okinawa bunkakenkyū 46. Hōsei University Okinawa Cultural Research Institute. Mar 2019.
 
 
Original report by Kayano Gushiken. Edited and revised by Kasumi Sminkey.