born Jan. 31, 1935, Ehime prefecture, Shikoku, Japan
Japanese novelist.
Ōe first attracted attention on the literary scene while still a student at the University of Tokyo. His works, written in a rough prose style that at times nearly violates the natural rhythms of Japanese, reflect his life and epitomize the rebellion of the post-World War II generation. They include A Personal Matter (1964), which uses the birth of an abnormal baby to investigate the problem of culturally disinherited youth; Hiroshima Notes (1965); and The Silent Cry (1967). He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1994.