Takeo Oda was born in Kasuga Town of Takada City, Niigata on July 5, 1900. He grew up in poverty after losing his father at a young age, but he showed an interest in literature from middle school. He published a literature magazine, “Sleet” (霙), and one of his short poems was selected by a magazine, “Essay World” (文章世界). After graduating Takada Middle School, he attended Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and graduated from the Chinese Language Department in 1922. He worked as a secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and moved to work in the consulate at Hangzou in 1924. He spent around four years in China.
After his return, Oda began to participate in a self-published magazine, “The Grape Vineyard” (葡萄園), with the recommendation of Shinjirou Kurahara. He also helped to start another magazine, “The Male Crane” (雄鶴). He submitted works to outside magazines like “Literature Metropolis” (文藝都市) as well. In 1930, Oda left the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to focus on his writing career.In 1936, Oda won the Akutagawa Prize for “Outside the Castle” (城外), a work that focused on his experiences as a secretary in China. In addition to “Outside the Castle,” many of Oda’s works focused on China and his experiences there. Oda also wrote a biography of Lu Xun, a Chinese writer and poet (魯迅伝).
Despite his achievements, Oda did not obtain the same financial success or fame as his contemporaries. In 1941, he conducted military service as an army reporter in Burma. Upon his return to Takada City in 1944, he started “Literature Booklet” (文芸冊子; later renamed to Takada Literature (文芸たかだ)). Some of his works from these later years focused on hometown in the Joetsu region.
Takeo Oda died of heart failure on June 2, 1979, at the age of 78. Preceding his death, in 1975, he won a Hirabayashi Taiko Award for his book on poet Yu Dafu (郁達夫伝), and in 1978, a monument was built for him near a temple in his hometown.
For further information see:
https://www.niikei.jp/op-ed/601620/
https://www.city.joetsu.niigata.jp/site/museum/odatakeo.html
https://prizesworld.com/akutagawa/jugun/jugun3OT.htm
http://www6.plala.or.jp/guti/cemetery/PERSON/A/oda_t.html