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In July 1872, Prince Ie was named lead envoy on an embassy that would travel to Tokyo to pay respects to the Meiji Emperor. The following month, he was named ''[[Sessei]]'' (the top administrative position within the Ryukyuan government).<ref>Kawabata Megumu 川端恵, ''Shô Tai: Saigo no Ryûkyû ô'' 尚泰：最後の琉球王, Yamakawa shuppan (2019), 21.</ref>
In July 1872, Prince Ie was named lead envoy on an embassy that would travel to Tokyo to pay respects to the Meiji Emperor. The following month, he was named ''[[Sessei]]'' (the top administrative position within the Ryukyuan government).<ref>Kawabata Megumu 川端恵, ''Shô Tai: Saigo no Ryûkyû ô'' 尚泰：最後の琉球王, Yamakawa shuppan (2019), 21.</ref>
He traveled to Tokyo in 1872 alongside [[Giwan Choho|Giwan Chôho]] and 35 others, meeting with the Meiji Emperor on 9/14, and being formally told that the kingdom was to be annexed by Japan as ''[[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]]'', and that King Shô Tai was to become "king" of that [[han|domain]]. While in Tokyo, he also attended the formal ceremony for the opening of Japan's first [[railroads|railway]], connecting [[Shinbashi]] and [[Sakuragicho Station|Yokohama]]. Following his return to Ryûkyû, Ie was named ''[[sessei]]'' (prime minister, or regent).
He traveled to Tokyo in 1872 alongside [[Giwan Choho|Giwan Chôho]] and 35 others, meeting with the Meiji Emperor on 9/14, and being formally told that the kingdom was to be annexed by Japan as ''[[Ryukyu han|Ryûkyû han]]'', and that King Shô Tai was to become "king" of that [[han|domain]]. While in Tokyo, he also attended the formal ceremony for the opening of Japan's first [[railroads|railway]], connecting [[Shinbashi]] and [[Sakuragicho Station|Yokohama]]. The embassy arrived back in Naha on [[1873]]/3/3 after being briefly castaway on [[Kikaijima]] earlier that year, while sailing from [[Kagoshima]] to Okinawa.<ref>''Shumi no Kikaijima shi'' 趣味の喜界島史, Tokyo: Kuroshio bunka kai (1960), 123-124.</ref> Following his return to Ryûkyû, Ie was named ''[[sessei]]'' (prime minister, or regent).
Prince Ie was admitted to the ''[[kazoku]]'' (Meiji Japan's European-style nobility) in [[1890]] as a Baron (''danshaku''). He died six years later, at age 79.
Prince Ie was admitted to the ''[[kazoku]]'' (Meiji Japan's European-style nobility) in [[1890]] as a Baron (''danshaku''). He died six years later, at age 79.