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The ship was an unarmed, decorative ship in the Chinese style, with decorations of blue-green birds and a yellow dragon on the bow of the ship, and the king's crest, a ''[[tomoe|mitsu-domoe]]'' also featured prominently. As a result, it came to be known variously as a ''ryûsen'' (dragon ship)<ref>Not to be confused with [[dragon boat]] races, which use a very different type of boat.</ref>, or an ''ayabune'' (crest ship); the character ''aya'', the same as the ''mon'' in ''kamon'' ("house crest" or "family crest"), was sometimes replaced with a different character, also read ''aya'', and referring to a particular textile design.

The ship was an unarmed, decorative ship in the Chinese style, with decorations of blue-green birds and a yellow dragon on the bow of the ship, and the king's crest, a ''[[tomoe|mitsu-domoe]]'' also featured prominently. As a result, it came to be known variously as a ''ryûsen'' (dragon ship)<ref>Not to be confused with [[dragon boat]] races, which use a very different type of boat.</ref>, or an ''ayabune'' (crest ship); the character ''aya'', the same as the ''mon'' in ''kamon'' ("house crest" or "family crest"), was sometimes replaced with a different character, also read ''aya'', and referring to a particular textile design.

The earliest instance in records extant today of such a ship arriving in Satsuma appears in a record for the 8th month of [[1481]], but it is believed that Ryûkyû sent ''ayabune'' missions to Satsuma earlier than that. Ryukyuan sources indicate that ''ayabune'' were sent twice during the reign of King [[Sho Sei|Shô Sei]], three times during the reign of King [[Sho Ei|Shô Ei]] (r. [[1573]]-[[1589]]), and four times during the reign of King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] (r. [[1589]]-[[1621]]), though Shimazu documents emphasize that the ''ayabune'' stopped coming after the reign of Shô Ei. [[Shimazu Takahisa]] died in [[1566]] and was succeeded as head of the family by [[Shimazu Yoshihisa]]; but according to Shimazu accounts, when the Shimazu informed Ryûkyû of this development in [[1570]], there was no response, and furthermore, when missions did resume in [[1573]], the [[Sanshikan]] are said to have showed contempt, or insulted, the members of the embassy. This was termed the "''ayabune'' failure of courtesy incident" (''ayabune ketsurei jiken''), and was cited among the pretexts for the Shimazu invasion of Ryûkyû in 1609.

The earliest instance in records extant today of such a ship arriving in Satsuma appears in a record for the 8th month of [[1481]], but it is believed that Ryûkyû sent ''ayabune'' missions to Satsuma earlier than that. ''Ayabune'' may have also carried Ryukyuan missions to the [[Muromachi shogunate]].<ref name=kuro>Kuroshima Satoru 黒島敏, ''Ryûkyû ôkoku to Sengoku daimyô'' 琉球王国と戦国大名, Tokyo: Yoshikawa kôbunkan (2016), 22.</ref>

 

Ryukyuan sources indicate that ''ayabune'' were sent twice during the reign of King [[Sho Sei|Shô Sei]], three times during the reign of King [[Sho Ei|Shô Ei]] (r. [[1573]]-[[1589]]), and four times during the reign of King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] (r. [[1589]]-[[1621]]). However, while such missions were sent on a variety of ceremonial occasions, they were typically not dispatched in recognition or celebration of Shimazu succession.<ref name=kuro/>

 

Shimazu documents emphasize that the ''ayabune'' stopped coming for a time in the late 16th century. [[Shimazu Takahisa]] died in [[1566]] and was succeeded as head of the family by [[Shimazu Yoshihisa]]; but according to Shimazu accounts, when the Shimazu informed Ryûkyû of this development in [[1570]], there was no response, and furthermore, when missions did resume in [[1573]], the [[Sanshikan]] are said to have showed contempt, or insulted, the members of the embassy. This was termed the "''ayabune'' failure of courtesy incident" (''ayabune ketsurei jiken''), and was cited among the pretexts for the Shimazu invasion of Ryûkyû in 1609.

Ships which brought [[tribute]] from Ryûkyû to Satsuma after the 1609 invasion were called ''[[kaisen]]''.

Ships which brought [[tribute]] from Ryûkyû to Satsuma after the 1609 invasion were called ''[[kaisen]]''.