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*''Japanese'': 長虹堤 ''(Choukoutei)''
*''Japanese'': 長虹堤 ''(Choukoutei)''
The Chôkôtei (lit. "Long Rainbow Embankment") was a one-kilometer-long<ref>Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). p61.</ref> road connecting the [[Okinawa Island|Okinawan "mainland"]] at [[Sogenji|Sôgenji]], in the port of [[Tomari]], with [[Naha]], the chief port of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], which at that time was situated on a small island called Ukishima, just offshore.
The Chôkôtei (lit. "Long Rainbow Embankment") was a one-kilometer-long<ref>Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). p61.</ref> set of seven stone bridges which connected the [[Okinawa Island|Okinawan "mainland"]] at the port of [[Tomari]] (a district of Naha), with the rest of [[Naha]], the chief port of the [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryûkyû Kingdom]], which at that time was situated on a small island called Ukishima, just offshore. The embankment began at Azato-bashi (now called Sôgenji-bashi), in front of the [[Zen]] temple of [[Sogenji|Sôgen-ji]], and ended at Matsuoyama (O: ''Maachuu-yama'', now Matsuyama Park), in [[Kumemura]].<ref>Plaques on-site in Kume district, Naha.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/9526940777/sizes/k/]</ref>
The embankment was built in 1452, in preparation for the arrival of [[Chinese investiture envoys]] for the investiture ceremony of [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]]. It came to be called "Chôkôtei" after Chinese envoy [[Du Sance]]<!--杜三策--> wrote a poem in [[1633]], saying it looked like a rainbow when viewed from afar.<ref>Hokama Masaaki 外間政明。”Nahakō no seiritsu to sono kinō iji” 那覇港の成立とその機能維持。Shimatati しまたてぃ 13. Okinawa Shimatate Kyōkai 沖縄しまたて協会。July 2000. p7.</ref>
The embankment, designed by [[Kaiki]], was built in 1452, in preparation for the arrival of [[Chinese investiture envoys]] for the [[investiture]] ceremony of [[Sho Kinpuku|Shô Kinpuku]]. It came to be called "Chôkôtei" after a Chinese envoy, either [[Du Sance]]<!--杜三策--> or [[Hu Jing]]<!--胡靖--> wrote a poem in [[1633]], saying it looked like a rainbow when viewed from afar.<ref>Hokama Masaaki 外間政明。”Nahakō no seiritsu to sono kinō iji” 那覇港の成立とその機能維持。Shimatati しまたてぃ 13. Okinawa Shimatate Kyōkai 沖縄しまたて協会。July 2000. p7.; Plaques on-site in Kume district, Naha.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/9526940777/sizes/k/]</ref>
It was one of the sights featured in the few woodblock printed images in [[Chou Huang]]'s [[1757]] "Brief History of the Ryukyu Kingdom" (''[[Ryukyu-koku shiryaku|Liuqiu-guo zhilue]]''), and in [[Hokusai]]'s [[1832]] print series "Eight Views of Ryûkyû" (''[[Ryûkyû hakkei]]''). In both, the image was titled ''Chôkô shûsei'', which has been translated as "Clear Autumn Weather at Chôkô."
It was one of the sights featured in the few woodblock printed images in [[Chou Huang]]'s [[1757]] "Brief History of the Ryukyu Kingdom" (''[[Ryukyu-koku shiryaku|Liuqiu-guo zhilue]]''), and in [[Hokusai]]'s [[1832]] print series "Eight Views of Ryûkyû" (''[[Ryûkyû hakkei]]''). In both, the image was titled ''Chôkô shûsei'', which has been translated as "Clear Autumn Weather at Chôkô."
Though a major thoroughfare throughout the time of the Ryûkyû Kingdom, the Chôkôtei saw dramatically diminished use in the early 20th century, as a train line connected [[Shuri]] and Naha via the bridge at Tomari Takahashi from 1911-1933, and as a new prefectural road (later renamed Kokusai-dôri) was completed in 1934. The Battle of Okinawa, along with construction and reconstruction in the latter 20th century, destroyed much of the Chôkôtei; in particular, as landfill was used to fill in the water separating Naha from Shuri, the Chôkôtei disappeared. Some sections of road, however, still follow along its path, winding alongside the Kumoji River.
[[File:Chokotei.JPG|center|thumb|700px|Stonework in the sidewalk near Miebashi Station in [[Naha]], depicting the Chôkôtei, in an image adapted from [[Hokusai]]'s ''[[Ryukyu Hakkei|Ryûkyû Hakkei]]''.]]
==References==
==References==
*"Chôkôtei." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42121-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 23 November 2009.
*"Chôkôtei." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). [http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42121-storytopic-121.html Ryukyu Shimpo] (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 23 November 2009.
*Plaque at Miebashi Station, Naha.
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[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Muromachi Period]]
[[Category:Edo Period]]
[[Category:Geographic Locations]]