Changes

==History & Geography==

==History & Geography==

It is not fully known at what time Naha emerged as a settlement and a port, but it was already burgeoning by the 1420s, when [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] united [[Okinawa Island]], founding the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishing the [[first Sho dynasty|first Shô dynasty]].<ref>Uezato. p57.</ref> In the previous century, increased piracy activity around Korea, along with revolts by [[Fang Guozhen]]<!--方國珍--> and [[Zhang Shicheng]]<!--張士誠-->, caused Japanese merchants to take a different route to China, passing through the Ryukyus and making their way to [[Fuzhou]], rather than traveling to [[Ningpo]] via [[Hakata]], a more direct route.<ref>Uezato. p58.</ref>

It is not fully known at what time Naha emerged as a settlement and a port, but it is presumed to have formed as a matter of course in the late 14th century when Chinese and Japanese ships (among others) found the site a convenient waystation.<ref>Uezato. p73.</ref> The port was already burgeoning by the 1420s, when [[Sho Hashi|Shô Hashi]] united [[Okinawa Island]], founding the Kingdom of Ryûkyû and establishing the [[first Sho dynasty|first Shô dynasty]].<ref>Uezato. p57.</ref> In the previous century, increased piracy activity around Korea, along with revolts by [[Fang Guozhen]]<!--方國珍--> and [[Zhang Shicheng]]<!--張士誠-->, caused Japanese merchants to take a different route to China, passing through the Ryukyus and making their way to [[Fuzhou]], rather than traveling to [[Ningpo]] via [[Hakata]], a more direct route.<ref>Uezato. p58.</ref>

 

 

 

==Geography==

==Geography==

Throughout most of the time of the Kingdom, Naha consisted of six neighborhoods or districts, all but two of them located on a small island called Ukishima, which sat in the harbor, separated by only a very short distance from the "mainland" of Okinawa Island. Kumemura was located in the southern part of this island, closest to the "mainland," facing the neighborhood of Izumisaki across the harbor, while the neighborhoods of Higashi and Nishi were located to the west. Wakasamachi, occupied the northern or northeastern section of the island, and finally, the port of [[Tomari]] was located just across the way, to the east of Ukishima, on the Okinawan "mainland." The [[Chokotei|Chôkôtei]], a narrow, kilometer-long earthen embankment built in [[1452]], connected Tomari and Ukishima.<ref>Uezato. p61.</ref>

Throughout most of the time of the Kingdom, Naha consisted of six neighborhoods or districts, all but two of them located on a small island called Ukishima, which sat in the harbor, separated by only a very short distance from the "mainland" of Okinawa Island. Kumemura was located in the southern part of this island, closest to the "mainland," facing the neighborhood of Izumisaki across the harbor, while the neighborhoods of Higashi and Nishi were located to the west. Wakasamachi, occupied the northern or northeastern section of the island, and finally, the port of [[Tomari]] was located just across the way, to the east of Ukishima, on the Okinawan "mainland." The [[Chokotei|Chôkôtei]], a narrow, kilometer-long earthen embankment built in [[1452]], connected Tomari and Ukishima.<ref>Uezato. p61.</ref>

While Chinese (and some Koreans) formed distinctly separate neighborhoods for themselves, including, most prominently, the walled-in district of Kumemura, Japanese<ref>Though there were doubtless many people of genuine Japanese ethnicity/descent living in Naha in the 15th-17th centuries, records from that time likely include in the term ''wajin'' (倭人) people who simply adopted Japanese identities or customs, and ''[[wako|wakô]]'', maritime smugglers and raiders of a variety of ethnicities/origins who came to be known throughout East and Southeast Asia as "Japanese" (''wa'') pirates (''kô'').</ref> lived alongside Ryukyuans throughout the other four districts.<ref>Uezato. p60.</ref>

 

 

While Chinese (and some Koreans) formed distinctly separate neighborhoods for themselves, including, most prominently, the walled-in district of Kumemura, Japanese<ref>Though there were doubtless many people of genuine Japanese ethnicity/descent living in Naha in the 15th-17th centuries, records from that time likely include in the term ''wajin'' (倭人) people who simply adopted Japanese identities or customs, and ''[[wako|wakô]]'', maritime smugglers and raiders of a variety of ethnicities/origins who came to be known throughout East and Southeast Asia as "Japanese" (''wa'') pirates (''kô'').</ref> lived alongside Ryukyuans throughout the other four districts.<ref>Uezato. p60.</ref> The majority of Japanese coming to Ryûkyû in the 16th century are believed to have come from the [[Kansai region]], especially the port city of [[Sakai]], including many monks or lay monks associated with [[Daitokuji]]. Japanese coming to Ryûkyû in the 17th century were chiefly, as might be expected, from [[Satsuma han]].

A number of important economic and diplomatic institutions were located in the main port areas of Higashi and Nishi. The ''[[Oyamise]]'' (O: ''weemishi'') was the chief governmental trading center, and later came to serve as a kind of city hall or municipal affairs office as well. Markets were often held in the open space before the ''Oyamise'', which was quite close to the temples, and to the [[Tenshikan]], a mansion for visiting [[Chinese investiture envoys]] which is said to have rivaled [[Shuri Castle]] itself.

A number of important economic and diplomatic institutions were located in the main port areas of Higashi and Nishi. The ''[[Oyamise]]'' (O: ''weemishi'') was the chief governmental trading center, and later came to serve as a kind of city hall or municipal affairs office as well. Markets were often held in the open space before the ''Oyamise'', which was quite close to the temples, and to the [[Tenshikan]], a mansion for visiting [[Chinese investiture envoys]] which is said to have rivaled [[Shuri Castle]] itself.

The entrance to the port, to the west of Ukishima, was guarded by a pair of fortresses built on spits of land extending out towards the sea. These two fortresses, [[Mie gusuku]] and [[Yarazamori gusuku]], had a large chain strung out between them across the water, which could rather effectively block ships from entering the harbor. The fortresses were quite successful in repelling ''wakô'' raids on several occasions, but proved ultimately useless against the [[1609]] [[invasion of Ryukyu|invasion of Ryûkyû]] by forces from [[Satsuma han]], who simply made landfall elsewhere and approached [[Shuri]] by land.<ref>Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Capture a King: Okinawa 1609. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2009. pp29, 41, 46.</ref> In any case, beyond the two fortresses was ''[[Omono gusuku]]'' (O: ''umun gushiku''), a warehouse where goods to be sent overseas were kept.

The entrance to the port, to the west of Ukishima, was guarded by a pair of fortresses built in the early 1550s on spits of land extending out towards the sea. These two fortresses, [[Mie gusuku]] and [[Yarazamori gusuku]], had a large chain strung out between them across the water, which could rather effectively block ships from entering the harbor. The fortresses were quite successful in repelling ''wakô'' raids on several occasions, but proved ultimately useless against the [[1609]] [[invasion of Ryukyu|invasion of Ryûkyû]] by forces from [[Satsuma han]], who simply made landfall elsewhere and approached [[Shuri]] by land.<ref>Turnbull, Stephen. The Samurai Capture a King: Okinawa 1609. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2009. pp29, 41, 46.</ref> In any case, beyond the two fortresses was ''[[Omono gusuku]]'' (O: ''umun gushiku''), a warehouse where goods to be sent overseas were kept.

Wakasamachi, which according to oral tradition was founded by Japanese, lay to the north of Kumemura. Here were located temples to [[Ebisu]] and [[Jizo|Jizô]], established by Japanese monks, and the [[Naminoue Shrine]]. [[Zen]] monks from Japan also founded the temple [[Koganji|Kôganji]], which was the site of the chief Japanese cemetery in the city. Wakasamachi Ôdôri ran through the district from northeast to southwest, intersecting with Kume Ôdôri near the center of Ukishima, and connecting directly into the Chôkôtei on its eastern end. While Chinese envoys stayed in residences set aside for them in Higashi/Nishi, Wakasa was home to a residence set aside for those from the [[Tokara Islands]]; traders and those coming to give [[tribute]] from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and other outlying islands within the Ryûkyû Kingdom generally made port in Tomari, and lodged there.<ref>Uezato. p62.</ref>

Wakasamachi, which according to oral tradition was founded by Japanese, lay to the north of Kumemura. Here were located temples to [[Ebisu]] and [[Jizo|Jizô]], established by Japanese monks, and the [[Naminoue Shrine]]. [[Zen]] monks from Japan also founded the temple [[Koganji|Kôganji]], which was the site of the chief Japanese cemetery in the city. Wakasamachi Ôdôri ran through the district from northeast to southwest, intersecting with Kume Ôdôri near the center of Ukishima, and connecting directly into the Chôkôtei on its eastern end. While Chinese envoys stayed in residences set aside for them in Higashi/Nishi, Wakasa was home to a residence set aside for those from the [[Tokara Islands]].

 

Traders and those coming to give [[tribute]] from [[Yaeyama]], [[Miyako]], [[Amami Islands|Amami]] and other outlying islands within the Ryûkyû Kingdom generally made port in Tomari, and lodged there.<ref>Uezato. p62.</ref>

==References==

==References==

*Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). pp57-77.

*Uezato Takashi. "The Formation of the Port City of Naha in Ryukyu and the World of Maritime Asia: From the Perspective of a Japanese Network." ''[[Acta Asiatica]]'' 95 (2008). pp57-77.

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