| 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><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 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> |