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Makishi Chôchû ''[[Pechin]]'' was a [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan]] scholar-bureaucrat who headed the kingdom's diplomatic exchanges with Western countries in the 1850s. His abilities in Western languages allowed him to rise up in the ranks unusually quickly or easily, and to be granted this position.<ref name=compact>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42977-storytopic-121.html Makishi Chôchû]." ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten''). Ryukyu Shimpo. 1 March 2003. Accessed 29 September 2010.</ref>

Makishi Chôchû ''[[Pechin]]'' was a [[Kingdom of Ryukyu|Ryukyuan]] scholar-bureaucrat who headed the kingdom's diplomatic exchanges with Western countries in the 1850s. His abilities in Western languages allowed him to rise up in the ranks unusually quickly or easily, and to be granted this position.<ref name=compact>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42977-storytopic-121.html Makishi Chôchû]." ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten''). Ryukyu Shimpo. 1 March 2003. Accessed 29 September 2010.</ref>

Itarashiki, as he was known earlier in his life, journeyed to China in [[1839]] along with returning [[Chinese investiture envoys]], and studied at the Imperial Academy, where he learned formal Court Chinese (Mandarin). After his return from China, he learned English from Aniya Masasuke <!--安仁屋政輔--> (Yoseyama ''[[ueekata]]''), and came to serve as an official translator and interpreter. He acted in this capacity when the French ship ''[[Alcmene]]'' arrived in 1844, and again when [[Commodore Perry]] came to Ryûkyû in [[1853]]-[[1854]].<ref name=compact/> When Perry and his men first arrived, and requested that they be allowed to stay overnight in [[Tomari]], it was Itarashiki who conveyed the government's decision (after discussing the matter with his superiors) that they could not (the Americans stayed anyway).<ref>Kerr. p312.</ref> [[George Kerr]] also cites an incident where Itarashiki, speaking on behalf of the government, told [[Bernard Bettelheim]], who had taken up residence in the Buddhist temple [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Gokoku-ji]], to keep the temple doors open so that people could worship.<ref>Kerr. p320.</ref> He was rebuffed in this instance as well, though that was not the case with all interactions he had with foreigners.

Itarashiki, as he was known earlier in his life, journeyed to China in [[1839]] along with returning [[Chinese investiture envoys]], and studied at the Imperial Academy, where he learned formal Court Chinese (Mandarin). After his return from China, he learned English from Aniya Masasuke <!--安仁屋政輔--> (Yoseyama ''[[ueekata]]''), and came to serve as an official translator and interpreter. He acted in this capacity when the French ship ''[[Alcmene]]'' arrived in 1844, and again when [[Commodore Perry]] came to Ryûkyû in [[1853]]-[[1854]].<ref name=compact/> When Perry and his men first arrived, and requested that they be allowed to stay overnight in [[Tomari]], it was Itarashiki who conveyed the government's decision (after discussing the matter with his superiors) that they could not (the Americans stayed anyway).<ref>Kerr. p312.</ref> [[George Kerr]] also cites an incident where Itarashiki, speaking on behalf of the government, told [[Bernard Bettelheim]], who had taken up residence in the Buddhist temple [[Gokoku-ji (Okinawa)|Gokoku-ji]], to keep the temple doors open so that people could worship.<ref>Kerr. p320.</ref> He was rebuffed in this instance as well, though that was not the case with all interactions he had with foreigners.