Tei Ryôsai was a Ryukyuan scholar-aristocrat who played a prominent role in training musicians for both Ryukyuan missions to Edo, and for receiving Chinese investiture missions to Ryûkyû.
Born in 1708, he traveled to Fuzhou in 1738, remaining there until 1743. He later served as a teacher of Chinese music for members of the 1748 and 1752 missions to Edo, though it's unclear if he ever traveled to Edo himself. His appointment in 1747 was alongside Sai Kôso. Tei also trained performers for the reception of the 1756-1757 Qing investiture mission.
References
- Kaneshiro Atsumi, "Gakudôji, gakushi, kagakushi - uzagaku o tsutaeta hitobito" 「楽童子・楽師・歌楽師－御座楽を伝えた人々」, in Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete 御座楽の復元に向けて, Naha, Okinawa: Uzagaku fukugen ensô kenkyûkai 御座楽復元演奏研究会 (2007), 78.
- Liao Zhenpei 廖真珮, "Ryûkyû kyûtei ni okeru Chûgoku kei ongaku no ensô to denshô" 琉球宮廷における中国系音楽の演奏と伝承, in Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete, 111.