Tei Kokun

• Japanese/Chinese: 鄭 鴻勳 (Tei Koukun / Zhèng Hóngxūn)

Tei Kôkun was a Ryukyuan scholar-aristocrat who served as instructor to musicians attached to the 1748 and 1752 Ryukyuan embassies to Edo. He was appointed to these tasks when he was age 31 and 35 respectively, and chiefly taught Chinese song. In late 1747, from 12/13, he was assigned to oversee the water clock (rôkoku) at Shuri castle, and so was pulled away from his appointment as music instructor.

These appointments came after he spent eight years studying in China, from 1737 to 1745, on his own private funding.

References

• Liao Zhenpei 廖真珮, "Ryûkyû kyûtei ni okeru Chûgoku kei ongaku no ensô to denshô" 琉球宮廷における中国系音楽の演奏と伝承, in Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete 御座楽の復元に向けて, Naha, Okinawa: Uzagaku fukugen ensô kenkyûkai 御座楽復元演奏研究会 (2007), 111-112, citing Naha shishi 那覇市史, vol 6 下, Naha City Office (1980), p688-689.