Takuya Kaneshima
Photo: Naoko Kitaue
Takuya Kaneshima
Born in 1989 in Okinawa City, where he is currently based. In 2013, he formed the theater group chocodorobo (Chocolate Thief) and wrote and directed the group’s plays. He specializes in conversational dramas using the language of Okinawan youth, and stages original scripts centered on comedy and mystery. He is also active as part of the theater unit Tamadorobo with Ryukyu dancer Takumi Tamaki. In 2018, he won the Okinawa Prefectural Governor’s Prize in the scenario and drama category of the 14th Okinawa Literature Awards for Folklore. In 2021, he wrote the script for the NHK-FM theater Fushigi no kuni no haisai shokudo (Haisai Shokudo in Wonderland) and won the 31st Audio Drama Encouragement Prize. His play Backyard in RyCom won the Excellent Play Award in the 30th Yomiuri Theater Awards and was selected as a finalist for the 26th Tsuruya Nanboku Drama Award as well as the 67th Kishida Kunio Drama Award. It had a revival tour in 2024. In the same year, he presented Tattooer in Japan and the UK. Hanauri no en on (za) rain (The Fate of the Flower-seller: On(the)Line), which he wrote and co-directed, was a finalist for the 69th Kishida Kunio Drama Award.
