He was the great-grandson of Shō Tai, the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and was the last member of the family to hold the title of Marquess (侯爵, kōshaku).

Like most members of the kazoku system of peerage, and all heads of the Shō family since the abolition of the Ryukyu Kingdom, he lived in Tokyo for his whole life.

He graduated from Tokyo Imperial University earning a degree in East Asian history from the Department of Literature.

He was also active in the business world, working with various institutions, including Shō Enterprises, where he was representative director.

[1] He lost his title, as did all other members of the kazoku system of peerage, with the implementation of the post-war Constitution of Japan in 1947.