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Satsuma's invasion of Ryûkyû was the climax of a long tradition of relations between the kingdom and the [[Shimazu clan]] of Satsuma. The two regions had been engaged in trade for at least several centuries and possibly for far longer than that; in addition, Ryûkyû at times had paid tribute to the [[Muromachi shogunate]] (1336-1573) of Japan as it did to China since 1372.

Satsuma's invasion of Ryûkyû was the climax of a long tradition of relations between the kingdom and the [[Shimazu clan]] of Satsuma. The two regions had been engaged in trade for at least several centuries and possibly for far longer than that; in addition, Ryûkyû at times had paid tribute to the [[Muromachi shogunate]] (1336-1573) of Japan as it did to China since 1372.

In the final decades of the 16th century, the Shimazu clan, along with [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], who ruled Japan from 1582-1598, requested or demanded various types of aid or service from the kingdom on a number of occasions. The repeated refusals of these demands by King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] (r. 1587-1620), who also ignored outright many communications from the Shimazu and from Hideyoshi, spurred the Shimazu, with the permission of the newly established [[Tokugawa shogunate]] (1603-1867), to invade Ryûkyû in 1609, claiming it a punitive mission.

In the final decades of the 16th century, the Shimazu clan, along with [[Toyotomi Hideyoshi]], who ruled Japan from 1582-1598, requested or demanded various types of aid or service from the kingdom on a number of occasions. The repeated refusals of these demands by King [[Sho Nei|Shô Nei]] (r. 1587-1620), who also ignored outright many communications from the Shimazu and from Hideyoshi, spurred the Shimazu, with the permission of the newly established [[Tokugawa shogunate]] (1603-1867), to invade Ryûkyû in 1609, claiming it a punitive mission. The Ryûkyû Kingdom's hesitation, or refusal, to send communications or missions at this time may have been in part in response to a perception of the worsening threat of [[wako|piracy]].<ref>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>

One of the chief events which spurred Satsuma to aggression occurred when Hideyoshi launched the first of two [[Korean Invasions|invasions of Korea]] in 1592. Through messengers from Satsuma, he ordered that Ryûkyû contribute warriors to the invasion efforts, and was refused; he also commanded that Ryûkyû temporarily suspend its official missions to China. The mission traveled to [[Beijing]] anyway, on business relating to Shô Nei's formal investiture, and related Hideyoshi's plans to Chinese Court officials there. [[Shimazu Yoshihisa]], lord of Satsuma, then suggested that Ryûkyû be allowed to supply food and other supplies - enough to support 7000 men<ref>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 47.</ref> - instead of manpower; Hideyoshi agreed, but Shô Nei ignored the related missives.

One of the chief events which spurred Satsuma to aggression occurred when Hideyoshi launched the first of two [[Korean Invasions|invasions of Korea]] in 1592. Through messengers from Satsuma, he ordered that Ryûkyû contribute warriors to the invasion efforts, and was refused; he also commanded that Ryûkyû temporarily suspend its official missions to China. The mission traveled to [[Beijing]] anyway, on business relating to Shô Nei's formal investiture, and related Hideyoshi's plans to Chinese Court officials there. [[Shimazu Yoshihisa]], lord of Satsuma, then suggested that Ryûkyû be allowed to supply food and other supplies - enough to support 7000 men<ref>''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum (2009), 47.</ref> - instead of manpower; Hideyoshi agreed, but Shô Nei ignored the related missives.