Changes

*''Published: [[1710]]''

*''Published: [[1711]]''

*''Japanese'': 琉球うみすずめ ''(Ryuukyuu umi suzume)''

*''Japanese'': 琉球うみすずめ ''(Ryuukyuu umi suzume)''

''Ryûkyû umisuzume'' is considered the first widely circulated woodblock-printed book about the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]. Published in [[1710]] in order to capitalize on the popular interest in Ryûkyû which came in conjunction with the [[Ryukyuan embassy to Edo]] of that year, the volume combines images of the embassy's procession through the streets with text relating a fictional story about a Japanese who traveled to Ryûkyû.

''Ryûkyû umisuzume'' is considered the first widely circulated woodblock-printed book about the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]]. Published in [[1711]] in order to capitalize on the popular interest in Ryûkyû which came in conjunction with the [[Ryukyuan embassy to Edo]] of the previous year, the volume combines images of the embassy's procession through the streets with text relating a fictional story about a Japanese who traveled to Ryûkyû.

The story is closely based upon the ''[[Teisai hoshi den|Teisai hôshi den]]'', with only the changes that the main character is called Saisaburô instead of Heisuke or Teisai, and that the portions of the story involving [[Okubo Nagayasu|Ôkubo Nagayasu]], and the main character becoming a monk, are omitted. The text of this story occupies the top two-thirds of each page, while unrelated images of the Ryukyuan street procession run along the bottom third. These images are labeled with the names of the members of the Ryukyuan embassy; the gifts they are bringing to the shogun are identified as well.

The story is closely based upon the ''[[Teisai hoshi den|Teisai hôshi den]]'', with only the changes that the main character is called Saisaburô instead of Heisuke or Teisai, and that the portions of the story involving [[Okubo Nagayasu|Ôkubo Nagayasu]], and the main character becoming a monk, are omitted. The text of this story occupies the top two-thirds of each page, while unrelated images of the Ryukyuan street procession run along the bottom third. These images are labeled with the names of the members of the Ryukyuan embassy; the gifts they are bringing to the shogun are identified as well.

Though published in 1710, the text itself gives a date of Meireki 4 ([[1658]]). This indicates that it was quite likely reproduced in manuscript form for several decades before being put into publication.

Though published in 1711, the text itself gives a date of Meireki 4 ([[1658]]). This indicates that it was quite likely reproduced in manuscript form for several decades before being put into publication.

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