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In his journalism, Ôta reported and commented on a wide variety of subjects, including the state of education in Okinawa<ref>Kerr. p417.</ref> and economic problems. He was particularly critical of the maintenance or exhibition of distinctly Okinawan customs which fed mainland Japanese stereotypes of Okinawans as uneducated or culturally backwards, writing that Okinawan [[tattoos]], among other practices, were something to be ashamed of.<ref>He is also quoted as writing: "If we had much of anything in Okinawa that was worthy of national pride, then it would have the power of changing other people when we openly engaged our 'national customs'; unfortunately, that is not the case. So we must be careful not to make a display of our most striking and unique customs." Ben Kobashigawa, “Okinawan Issei Identity: Pride and Shame among the Early Immigrants,” in Ronald Nakasone (ed.), ''Reflections on the Okinawan Experience'', Dharma Cloud Publishing (1996), 36.</ref> Beginning around 1903, Ôta promoted the establishment of agencies in [[Osaka]] and elsewhere, including a Sugar Dealers' Association, aimed at helping Okinawans enter the otherwise Japanese-dominated markets<ref>Kerr. p430.</ref>.

In his journalism, Ôta reported and commented on a wide variety of subjects, including the state of education in Okinawa<ref>Kerr. p417.</ref> and economic problems. He was particularly critical of the maintenance or exhibition of distinctly Okinawan customs which fed mainland Japanese stereotypes of Okinawans as uneducated or culturally backwards, writing that Okinawan [[tattoos]], among other practices, were something to be ashamed of.<ref>He is also quoted as writing: "If we had much of anything in Okinawa that was worthy of national pride, then it would have the power of changing other people when we openly engaged our 'national customs'; unfortunately, that is not the case. So we must be careful not to make a display of our most striking and unique customs." Ben Kobashigawa, “Okinawan Issei Identity: Pride and Shame among the Early Immigrants,” in Ronald Nakasone (ed.), ''Reflections on the Okinawan Experience'', Dharma Cloud Publishing (1996), 36.</ref> Beginning around 1903, Ôta promoted the establishment of agencies in [[Osaka]] and elsewhere, including a Sugar Dealers' Association, aimed at helping Okinawans enter the otherwise Japanese-dominated markets<ref>Kerr. p430.</ref>.

He would later go on to serve as Okinawan representative in the prefectural assembly, and as mayor of Shuri (beginning in 1931), but remained a journalist throughout his life. After leaving the Ryûkyû Shimpô for a time, he was invited back in 1930 to serve as company president<ref name=shimpo/>. He also wrote three books<ref name=shimpo/>, including "Fifty Years of Administration in Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県政五十年, ''Okinawa-ken sei gojûnen'')<ref name=jinmei/>.

He would later go on to serve as Okinawan representative in the prefectural assembly, and as mayor of Shuri (beginning in 1931), but remained a journalist throughout his life. After leaving the Ryûkyû Shimpô for a time, he was invited back in 1930 to serve as company president<ref name=shimpo/>. He also served as vice president of the Okinawa Overseas Association (''Okinawa kaigai kyôkai'') for a time, traveling to Hawaii in that capacity in 1925,<ref>[[Mitsugu Sakihara]], "Okinawans in Hawaii: An Overview of the Past 80 Years," in ''Uchinanchu'', University of Hawaii (1981), 109.</ref> and wrote three books<ref name=shimpo/>, including "Fifty Years of Administration in Okinawa Prefecture" (沖縄県政五十年, ''Okinawa-ken sei gojûnen'')<ref name=jinmei/>.

==References==

==References==