Chatan Choshu
- Born: 1618?
- Died: 1653/3/23, Kagoshima
- Titles: 北谷王子 (Prince Chatan)
- Other Names: 金武朝秀 (Kin Choushuu)
- Japanese: 北谷朝秀 (Chatan Choushuu)
Prince Chatan Chôshû was a scholar-aristocrat official of the Ryûkyû Kingdom.
The son of Prince Kin Chôtei, he was a grandson of Shô Kyû, who was in turn the third son of King Shô Gen.
Chôshû accompanied his father to Kagoshima in 1634, and at some point afterwards was granted Chatan as his fief.[1] He then headed a mission in 1638 to Kagoshima to celebrate the succession of Shimazu Mitsuhisa as lord of Satsuma han, and was named "Prince" on that occasion, at the age of 20. In 1653, at the age of 35, he was then appointed to lead a Ryukyuan embassy to Edo; however, after arriving in Kagoshima in 1652/5, he fell ill and died on 1653/3/23, and was replaced as Lead Envoy by Prince Kunjan Seisoku.
Prince Chatan was buried at Nanrin-ji in Kagoshima, and his memorial plaque (ihai) was kept at Dairyû-ji.[2] His eldest son Chôten was granted the title of Prince Kin, and served as lead envoy on a mission to Edo in 1671.
References
- Miyagi Eishô 宮城栄昌, Ryûkyû shisha no Edo nobori 琉球使者の江戸上り, Tokyo: Daiichi Shobô (1982), 42-44.
