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The village of Kumemura, a short distance from the capital at Shuri, had been founded in [[1393]] by a number of Chinese scholars, bureaucrats, and craftsmen from Fukien settled there with their families by order of the Ming Court. The town rapidly developed into a center of scholarship and Chinese culture, and came to be something of a training ground for the kingdom's bureaucrats; nearly all of the administrators in the royal government came from Kumemura, and positions were based on showing in royal examinations, rather than purely on birth. A system was also established by which a select few members of the Kumemura community would travel to Fuzhou and Beijing to study. In addition to becoming well-versed in the Chinese classics, and being educated and trained in the ways of a bureaucrat, these students would frequently bring back specific skills or knowledges to be implemented in the kingdom, such as geomancy, navigation, or various craft skills.
The village of Kumemura, a short distance from the capital at Shuri, had been founded in [[1393]] by a number of Chinese scholars, bureaucrats, and craftsmen from Fukien settled there with their families by order of the Ming Court. The town rapidly developed into a center of scholarship and Chinese culture, and came to be something of a training ground for the kingdom's bureaucrats; nearly all of the administrators in the royal government came from Kumemura, and positions were based on showing in royal examinations, rather than purely on birth. A system was also established by which a select few members of the Kumemura community would travel to Fuzhou and Beijing to study. In addition to becoming well-versed in the Chinese classics, and being educated and trained in the ways of a bureaucrat, these students would frequently bring back specific skills or knowledges to be implemented in the kingdom, such as geomancy, navigation, or various craft skills.
Meanwhile, Japanese Buddhist monks became one of the key avenues by which Japanese culture, including [[tea ceremony]], appreciation for tea wares and other Japanese [[pottery|ceramics]], and Japanese poetry and literary classics, was introduced to the Ryukyuan elites. [[Zen]] was the dominant form of [[Buddhism]] patronized by the royal family since its introduction by the Japanese monk [[Zenkan]] in [[1265]]; [[Shingon]] had also been introduced by a Japanese monk in the late 1360s, and a Chinese investiture envoy, [[Chai Shan]], established another major temple in [[1430]]. However, it was under Shô Taikyû (r. [[1454]]-[[1461]]) that Buddhism truly became firmly established and widespread. Shô Taikyû invited [[Kaiin]], a monk from Kyoto's [[Nanzen-ji]], to come and found a number of new temples, and to oversee the construction of a number of [[temple bells]]. Taikyû did not make Buddhism the state religion, but Zen did continue to enjoy a close relationship with the royal family, and Zen monks came to play a particularly prominent role in not only cultural relations, but also political/diplomatic relations between Ryûkyû and Japan, while relations with other countries continued to be managed by the Confucian scholar-bureaucrats of Kumemura.<ref>Yokoyama, 38.</ref>
King Shô Shin (r. [[1477]]-[[1526]]) is often said to have ruled over a golden age for the kingdom. He solidified and strengthened the power of the king (and of the central royal government more generally), both practically and ideologically. Areas outside of Shuri had previously been ruled by ''anji'', local/regional rulers akin perhaps to feudal lords, with considerable power and autonomy within their lands. Under Shô Shin's predecessors, and especially under Chûzan prior to the unification of the island, ''anji'' wielded considerable power, occasionally even toppling and replacing kings.<ref>As is believed to have happened at least once in Nanzan, as indicated in the ''Ming Taizong shilu''. Chan, 25-26.</ref> The ''anji'' were not fully secure in their power, however, as local elites beneath them could also overthrow their ''anji'' when they perceived him to be politically or spiritually weak; priestesses also wielded considerable local political power.<ref>Chan, 25-26.</ref>
King Shô Shin (r. [[1477]]-[[1526]]) is often said to have ruled over a golden age for the kingdom. He solidified and strengthened the power of the king (and of the central royal government more generally), both practically and ideologically. Areas outside of Shuri had previously been ruled by ''anji'', local/regional rulers akin perhaps to feudal lords, with considerable power and autonomy within their lands. Under Shô Shin's predecessors, and especially under Chûzan prior to the unification of the island, ''anji'' wielded considerable power, occasionally even toppling and replacing kings.<ref>As is believed to have happened at least once in Nanzan, as indicated in the ''Ming Taizong shilu''. Chan, 25-26.</ref> The ''anji'' were not fully secure in their power, however, as local elites beneath them could also overthrow their ''anji'' when they perceived him to be politically or spiritually weak; priestesses also wielded considerable local political power.<ref>Chan, 25-26.</ref>