Ryukyuan missions to Edo
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Over the course of Japan's
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
, the
Ryūkyū Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English language, English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' wa ...
sent eighteen , the capital of
Tokugawa Japan The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional ''daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characterize ...
. The unique pattern of these diplomatic exchanges evolved from models established by the Chinese, but without denoting any predetermined relationship to China or to the Chinese world order. The Kingdom became a vassal to the Japanese feudal domain (''
han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
'') of
Satsuma Satsuma may refer to: * Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit * ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails Places Japan * Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town * Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture * Satsuma Domain, a sout ...
following Satsuma's 1609 invasion of Ryūkyū, and as such were expected to pay
tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
to the shogunate; the missions also served as a great source of prestige for Satsuma, the only ''han'' to claim any foreign polity, let alone a kingdom, as its vassal..


Evolving relationships

Royal princes or top-ranking officials in the royal government served as chief envoys, and were accompanied by merchants, craftsmen, scholars, and other government officials as they journeyed first by sea to the '' Ryūkyū-kan'' (琉球館) in
Kagoshima , abbreviated to , is the capital city of Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Located at the southwestern tip of the island of Kyushu, Kagoshima is the largest city in the prefecture by some margin. It has been nicknamed the "Naples of the Eastern wor ...
, an institution which served a role similar to a consulate for the Ryūkyū Kingdom, and then on by land to Edo. Missions traveled as a part of Satsuma's regular missions to Edo under the '' sankin kōtai'' system, the Ryūkyūan envoys and their entourage considerably outnumbered by the Japanese envoys and entourage from Satsuma, and were housed in the Shimazu clan residences during their time in Edo. Even so, they were still regarded as diplomatic missions from a foreign country. This was reflected in the envoys' reception in Edo, in the associated rituals and meetings. Ryūkyū was, however, regarded as being quite low in the hierarchy of foreign countries in the shogunate's world view. While the Ryūkyūan embassies paralleled in many ways those sent by Joseon Dynasty Korea in the same period, various aspects of the Ryūkyūan envoys' reception reflected their lower status in the shogunate's view. Since envoys from both Korea and Ryūkyū were not equals with the ''
shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
'', intermediaries represented the shogunate in meetings with the envoys; while Korean envoys met with members of various high-ranking families (the ''
kōke A during the Edo period in Japan generally referred to the position of the "Master of Ceremonies", held by certain -less samurai ranking below a daimyō. Historically, or in a more general context, the term may refer to a family of old lineage a ...
''), envoys from Ryūkyū were met by a lower-ranking master of ceremonies, the ''sōshaban''.Toby, The nature and composition of these Ryūkyūan missions to Edo evolved over the course of time. The earliest Ryūkyūan mission was received in Kyoto in 1451 (''Hōtoku 3, 7th month '') Mention of this diplomatic event is among the first of its type to be published in the West in an 1832 French version of by
Hayashi Shihei was a Japanese military scholar and a retainer of the Sendai Domain. His name is sometimes transliterated (according to the Sino-Japanese reading) as ''Rin Shihei''. Biography Hayashi was born in Edo as the second son of Hayashi Gonhyoue Yoshi ...
. The essential character of these diplomatic expeditions mirrored the Ryūkyūan embassies to the
Qing court The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
in Beijing. The best extant description of these embassies is found in ''
Tsūkō ichiran is a mid-19th century Japanese compilation of documents or "survey of intercourse" related to the foreign relations of the Tokugawas and the Tokugawa shogunate.Cullen, L. M. (2003). ''A History of Japan, 1582–1941: Internal and External Worlds, ...
'', compiled by
Hayashi Akira (also known as ''Hayashi Fukusai'') was an Edo period scholar-diplomat serving the Tokugawa shogunate in a variety of roles similar to those performed by serial Hayashi clan neo-Confucianists since the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the here ...
in 1853. Japanese modifications to the well-established concepts and patterns of
foreign relations of Imperial China : ''For the later history after 1800 see History of foreign relations of China.'' The foreign relations of Imperial China from the Qin dynasty until the Qing dynasty encompassed many situations as the fortunes of dynasties rose and fell. Chinese cul ...
developed as conditions changed. Every mission was conducted either to congratulate a new ''shōgun'' on his succession or in connection with the accession of a new king of Ryūkyū. In the latter case, approval and formal recognition of the new king would be formally requested of both the
Shimazu clan The were the ''daimyō'' of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan. The Shimazu were identified as one of the '' tozama'' or outsider ''daimyō'' familiesAppert, Georges ''et al.'' (1888). in contrast ...
lords of Satsuma and of the shogunate, but the request was essentially simply a matter of ritual, and none were ever denied. Extensive efforts were made to stress the foreignness of the costume, language, customs and art of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, emphasizing the glory and power of the Shimazu clan of the Satsuma Domain, the only ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
s'' (feudal lords) in Japan to enjoy the fealty of a foreign kingdom. The missions served a similar function for the shogunate at times, helping to create the image that the ''shōgun''s power and influence extended overseas. The third Tokugawa ''shōgun'',
Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...
, called for an embassy to be sent from Ryūkyū in 1634, as his predecessor
Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
had done with a Korean embassy in 1617, to provide a show for the Imperial court and ''daimyōs'' of the ''shōgun''s power.


Cultural impacts

Numerous
woodblock prints Woodblock printing or block printing is a technique for printing text, images or patterns used widely throughout East Asia and originating in China in antiquity as a method of printing on textiles and later paper. Each page or image is create ...
and paintings of the exotic and brightly colored costumes and banners of the Ryūkyū delegation were produced, and bought and sold by commoners and samurai alike.


Missions chronology


1609–1611

The Kingdom of Ryūkyū was invaded by forces from the Satsuma Domain in the 12th year of ''
Keichō was a after ''Bunroku'' and before ''Genna''. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1596 : The era name was changed to ''Keichō'' to mark the passing of various natural disasters ...
'' (1609). King
Shō Nei was king of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1587 to 1620. He reigned during the 1609 invasion of Ryukyu and was the first king of Ryukyu to be a vassal to the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, a Japanese feudal domain. Shō Nei was the great-grandson of Shō Shin ...
and a number of royal advisors and government officials were taken back to Kagoshima and then to Sunpu, where they met with retired ''shōgun''
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
. The delegation continued north to
Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
for a formal audience in the shogunal court of
Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
. Upon returning to Kagoshima, the king and officials were required to sign oaths of loyalty to Satsuma. Secondary sources, i.e. history books, often count this as the first tribute mission.


1629

No formal tribute/diplomatic mission was sent in this year, but three high-ranking officials from the Ryūkyū government journeyed to Edo to perform before ''shōgun''
Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...
.


1649

The 1649 mission was headed by Prince Gushikawa Chōei. Chōei was the seventh son of Shō Kyū, son of King
Shō Gen was king of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1556 to 1572. He was called "Gen, the mute."Kerr, George H. (2000). The king required considerable support from the ''Sanshikan'' (Council of Three), the chief council of royal advisors. His reign marked the be ...
(r. 1556–72).


1682

Prince Nago led a mission in 1682 to congratulate ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Tsunayoshi on his succession. He alone of the members of the mission was granted an audience with the ''shōgun''; by contrast, the Korean representatives received several months later included three ambassadors and seven or so aides and pages. This is but one of many differences seen in the reception of Korean and Ryūkyūan embassies, reflections of the different levels of status the two countries held in the Japanese view. The reception for Prince Nago was attended by all ''daimyōs'' below the fourth court rank; a great number of samurai lords, but of relatively low rank. In presenting formal greetings on behalf of King
Shō Tei was the 11th King of the Second Shō Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom, who held the throne from 1669 until his death in 1709."Shō Tei." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia")Ryukyu Shimpo(琉球新 ...
, he bowed nine times "on the fourth mat below the Lower State nd/nowiki> withdrew" and then presented obeisances on his own behalf from the veranda. This, too, reflects a lower status than the Korean ambassadors, who made only four and a half bows from the second mat below the Middle Stage. Historian
Ronald Toby Ronald P. Toby (1942 — ) is an American historian, academic, writer and Japanologist. Early life Toby earned a doctorate in Japanese history from Columbia University in 1977. Career As a university professor, Toby's teaching experience ...
, by way of contrasting the treatment of the two embassies, also adds that the Ryūkyūans were offered no grand banquet as the Koreans did, nor were they bade farewell by the '' rōjū'' (Council of Elders; chief shogunal advisors) when they left Edo for home, as the Korean envoys did.


1710

Mission to Edo included 168 from Ryūkyū, far exceeding the size of any previous mission. This is a reflection in large part of the relative prosperity of the kingdom under the guidance of royal advisor
Sai On (1682–1762), or Cai Wen in Chinese, also known as , was a scholar-bureaucrat official of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, serving as regent, instructor, and advisor to King Shō Kei. He is renowned for the many reforms he initiated and oversaw, and is amon ...
.


1714

The largest mission in the history of the practice journeys to Edo, led by Princes Yonagusuku and Kin.
Tei Junsoku (1663–1734), or Cheng Shunze in Chinese, was a Confucianism, Confucian scholar and government official of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He has been described as being "in an unofficial sense... the 'minister of education'",Kerr, George H. ''Okinawa: Th ...
,
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...
scholar and influential educational reformer, accompanied the mission as the Chief of Correspondence. Tei met with Japanese Confucian scholars Arai Hakuseki,
Ogyū Sorai (March 21, 1666 – February 28, 1728), pen name Butsu Sorai, was a Japanese Confucian philosopher. He has been described as the most influential such scholar during the Edo period Japan. His primary area of study was in applying the teachings ...
, and Dazai Shundai. Hakuseki would later write a history of the Ryūkyū Islands, entitled , based on discussions with Tei Junsoku and others during this envoy mission; Shundai likewise included passages about the Ryūkyūs in his .Kerr, Discussions between the Ryūkyūan emissaries and their Japanese counterparts concerned in part problems faced by the Ryūkyū Kingdom. Economic policies put into place in the ensuing years were patterned after recent Japanese policies under ''shōgun'' Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. The influence of this 1714 mission was particularly strong in drawing the attention of the shogunate to the affairs of the Ryūkyū Kingdom.


1748–1752

An embassy from the Ryūkyū Islands arrived in Japan in the 1st year of '' Kan'en'' (1648), and another embassy arrived in the 2nd year of '' Hōreki'' (1752).


1764

The king of the Ryūkyū Islands sent an ambassador to the court of Empress Go-Sakuramachi in the 1st year of '' Meiwa'' (1764); and presentations of Ryukyuan music were among the offerings presented by the Ryukyuan ambassador.Klaproth,


Missions Table


Notes


See also

*
Japanese missions to Joseon Japanese missions to Joseon represent a crucial aspect of the international relations of mutual Joseon- Japan contacts and communication. The bilateral exchanges were intermittent. The unique nature of these bilateral diplomatic exchanges evolve ...
*
Joseon missions to Japan Joseon missions to Japan represent a crucial aspect of the international relations of mutual Joseon-Japanese contacts and communication. In sum, these serial diplomatic ventures illustrate the persistence of Joseon's '' kyorin'' (neighborly rela ...
*
Dutch missions to Edo The Dutch East India Company missions to Edo were regular tribute missions to the court of the Tokugawa ''shōgun'' in Edo (modern Tokyo) to reassure the ties between the Bakufu and the ''Opperhoofd''. The ''Opperhoofd'' of the Dutch factory in De ...
*
Joseon tongsinsa The Joseon Tongsinsa were goodwill missions sent intermittently, at the request of the resident Japanese authority, by Joseon dynasty Korea to Japan. The Korean noun identifies a specific type of diplomatic delegation and its chief envoys. From ...
* Ryukyuan missions to Imperial China * Ryukyuan missions to Joseon * Hua-Yi distinction * ''
Tsūkō ichiran is a mid-19th century Japanese compilation of documents or "survey of intercourse" related to the foreign relations of the Tokugawas and the Tokugawa shogunate.Cullen, L. M. (2003). ''A History of Japan, 1582–1941: Internal and External Worlds, ...
'', mid-19th century text


References

* Hayashi, Shihei (1786). . Edo: Manuscript
OCLC 44014900
* Kerr, George H. and Mitsugu Sakihara (1958). ''Okinawa, the History of an Island People.'' Tokyo:
Tuttle Publishing Tuttle Publishing, originally the Charles E. Tuttle Company, is a book publishing company that includes Tuttle, Periplus Editions, and Journey Editions.

OCLC 722356
Reprinted in 2000, * Klaproth, Julius. (1832). ''San kokf tsou ran to sets, ou Aperçu général des trois royaumes.'' Paris: Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 2563166
''also'
OCLC 561284561
* Smits, Gregory (1999)
''Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics,''
Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
OCLC 39633631
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834)
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''
(''
Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
''). Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Toby, Ronald P. (1991)
''State and Diplomacy in Early Modern Japan: Asia in the Development of the Tokugawa Bakufu.''
Stanford:
Stanford University Press Stanford University Press (SUP) is the publishing house of Stanford University. It is one of the oldest academic presses in the United States and the first university press to be established on the West Coast. It was among the presses officially ...
.
OCLC 246640133
* .


External links

*
National Archives of Japan The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique history and art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is al ...

''Ryūkyū Chuzano ryoshisha tojogyoretsu,'' scroll illustrating procession of Ryūkyū emissary to Edo, 1710 (''Hōei 7'').
* Waseda University
Hayashi Shihei was a Japanese military scholar and a retainer of the Sendai Domain. His name is sometimes transliterated (according to the Sino-Japanese reading) as ''Rin Shihei''. Biography Hayashi was born in Edo as the second son of Hayashi Gonhyoue Yoshi ...
. (1785)
三国通覧図説
(''Sangoku Tsuran Zusetsu'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Ryukyu Missions To Edo Foreign relations of the Ryukyu Kingdom Foreign relations of the Tokugawa shogunate Edo period