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Urasoe Chôki was a [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] aristocrat-bureaucrat, who served as ''[[sessei]]'' (royal advisor) from [[1835]] to [[1852]].

Urasoe Chôki was a [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] aristocrat-bureaucrat, who served as ''[[sessei]]'' (royal advisor) from [[1835]] to [[1852]].

Chôki was a direct descendant of [[Sho Shoi|Shô Shôi]], third son of King [[Sho Shin|Shô Shin]], making him a member of the highest rank of the aristocracy. He rose to the rank of ''ôji'' (prince)<ref>The title of ''ôji'' in the system of [[Ryukyuan court ranks]] was not exclusive to direct biological sons of the royalty, but could also be earned by the highest-ranking aristocracy. This did not make him a "prince" in the sense of being considered "royalty" or entered into the line of succession, but gave him equivalent court ranking to the princes of the blood.</ref>, and in [[1842]] served as the chief envoy (''seishi'') on a [[Ryukyuan embassy|mission]] to [[Edo]]. While in Japan, Chôki studied ''[[waka]]'' under [[Kagawa Kageki]], and is considered one of the [[Okinawa sanjurokkasen|Okinawa ''Sanjûrokkasen'']]. While in [[Osaka]] on the return from that 1842 mission, he gifted a piece of calligraphy to the [[Osaka Tenmangu|Osaka Tenmangû]], reading: "Presented to the Tenman Shrine of Sugawara, in Naniwa, Dai-Nippon-koku / With favorable virtue / Tenpô 14 [1843] Kingly Government / respectfully written, Ryûkyû Kingdom ''sessei'' Shô Genro."<ref>「大日本國浪華天満菅廟奉呈／徳馨／天保十四年癸卯王政／琉球國摂政尚元魯謹書」</ref> The object is now in the collection of the [[Okinawa Prefectural Museum]].<ref>Watanabe Miki. "[http://www.geocities.jp/ryukyu_history/Japan_Ryukyu/Main.html Nihon ni okeru Ryûkyû shiseki]" 日本における琉球史跡. (personal webpage)</ref>

Chôki was a son of [[Urasoe Choo|Urasoe Chôô]]<!--浦添朝央・尚図-->, and grandson of King [[Sho Boku|Shô Boku]].<ref name=nyurai>Hirayama Toshijirô 平山敏治郎, "Nyûrai Ryûkyû ki" 入来琉球記, ''Minzoku gaku kenkyûsho kiyô'' 民俗学研究所紀要 3 (1978/12), 124.</ref> He rose to the position of ''[[sessei]]'' under King [[Sho Iku|Shô Iku]],<ref name=nyurai/> and in [[1842]] served as the chief envoy (''seishi'') on a [[Ryukyuan embassy|mission]] to [[Edo]]. While in Japan, Chôki studied ''[[waka]]'' under [[Kagawa Kageki]], and is considered one of the [[Okinawa sanjurokkasen|Okinawa ''Sanjûrokkasen'']]. While in [[Osaka]] on the return from that 1842 mission, he gifted a piece of calligraphy to the [[Osaka Tenmangu|Osaka Tenmangû]], reading: "Presented to the Tenman Shrine of Sugawara, in Naniwa, Dai-Nippon-koku / With favorable virtue / Tenpô 14 [1843] Kingly Government / respectfully written, Ryûkyû Kingdom ''sessei'' Shô Genro."<ref>「大日本國浪華天満菅廟奉呈／徳馨／天保十四年癸卯王政／琉球國摂政尚元魯謹書」</ref> The object is now in the collection of the [[Okinawa Prefectural Museum]].<ref>Watanabe Miki. "[http://www.geocities.jp/ryukyu_history/Japan_Ryukyu/Main.html Nihon ni okeru Ryûkyû shiseki]" 日本における琉球史跡. (personal webpage)</ref>

Chôki was also involved in a reprinting of [[Zhu Xi|Zhu Xi's]] commentaries on the [[Four Books]]. This [[1845]] republication of the ''Sishu jizhu'' was published by Satsuma Fugaku at the request or approval of Lord [[Shimazu Nariakira]] of [[Satsuma han]], and contains a prologue by [[Hayashi Teiu|Hayashi Daigaku-no-kami Teiu]]<!--林檉宇, 1793-1846-->, chief Confucian tutor and advisor to the shogunate, and an epilogue by Chôki.<ref>Takatsu Takashi, “Ming Jianyang Prints and the Spread of the Teachings of Zhu Xi to Japan and the Ryukyu Kingdom in the Seventeenth Century,” in Angela Schottenhammer (ed.), ''The East Asian Mediterranean: Maritime Crossroads of Culture'', Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. 264.</ref>

Chôki was also involved in a reprinting of [[Zhu Xi|Zhu Xi's]] commentaries on the [[Four Books]]. This [[1845]] republication of the ''Sishu jizhu'' was published by Satsuma Fugaku at the request or approval of Lord [[Shimazu Nariakira]] of [[Satsuma han]], and contains a prologue by [[Hayashi Teiu|Hayashi Daigaku-no-kami Teiu]]<!--林檉宇, 1793-1846-->, chief Confucian tutor and advisor to the shogunate, and an epilogue by Chôki.<ref>Takatsu Takashi, “Ming Jianyang Prints and the Spread of the Teachings of Zhu Xi to Japan and the Ryukyu Kingdom in the Seventeenth Century,” in Angela Schottenhammer (ed.), ''The East Asian Mediterranean: Maritime Crossroads of Culture'', Harrassowitz Verlag, 2008. 264.</ref>