Chokotei

• Built: 1452
• Japanese: 長虹堤 (Choukoutei)

The Chôkôtei (lit. "Long Rainbow Embankment") was a road connecting the Ryukyuan royal capital of Shuri to the kingdom's chief port of Naha, which at that time was situated not on the "mainland" of Okinawa Island, but on its own small island called Ukishima.

The embankment was built in 1452, in preparation for the arrival of Chinese investiture envoys for the investiture ceremony of Shô Kinpuku.

It was one of the sights featured in the few woodblock printed images in Chou Huang's 1757 "Brief History of the Ryukyu Kingdom" (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."

References

• "Chôkôtei." Okinawa konpakuto jiten (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpo (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 23 November 2009.