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Following the outbreak of the [[Onin War|Ônin War]], Ryukyuan tribute missions to the shogunate gradually disappeared, and [[Sakai]] merchants jumped to fill in the gap, sending their own ships to Ryûkyû. Losing profits, and control over the trade, in [[1471]], the shogunate sent an order to the Shimazu indicating that from henceforward, merchants traveling to Ryûkyû would be required to hold shogunate-issued licenses. The export of copper coins was especially singled-out as prohibited. The Shimazu were then allowed to be the ones to notify the island kingdom of these new policies; that Ryûkyû then got the impression that it was the Shimazu - and not the shogunate - which issued licenses, and which held monopolistic control over the Japan-Ryûkyû trade, is indicated by a [[1559]] letter from a [[Naha]] official to a Shimazu retainer noting that only merchants with Shimazu permits were permitted to trade at Naha.<ref name=tanaka/>
Following the outbreak of the [[Onin War|Ônin War]], Ryukyuan tribute missions to the shogunate gradually disappeared, and [[Sakai]] merchants jumped to fill in the gap, sending their own ships to Ryûkyû. Losing profits, and control over the trade, in [[1471]], the shogunate sent an order to the Shimazu indicating that from henceforward, merchants traveling to Ryûkyû would be required to hold shogunate-issued licenses. The export of copper coins was especially singled-out as prohibited. The Shimazu were then allowed to be the ones to notify the island kingdom of these new policies; that Ryûkyû then got the impression that it was the Shimazu - and not the shogunate - which issued licenses, and which held monopolistic control over the Japan-Ryûkyû trade, is indicated by a [[1559]] letter from a [[Naha]] official to a Shimazu retainer noting that only merchants with Shimazu permits were permitted to trade at Naha.<ref name=tanaka/>
Following the Satsuma invasion of Ryûkyû in 1609, the kingdom's tributary relationship with China continued. That Ryûkyû was a source of Chinese goods was one of the chief reasons Satsuma wished to maintain control over the kingdom, but at the same time, the relationship with China was treasured by the kingdom, as the need to have Ryûkyû remain nominally independent so that relations with China could continue protected the kingdom from outright annexation by Satsuma. The kingdom was obliged to transfer much of the goods obtained in China to Satsuma, though they also borrowed silver, copper, tin, and other goods from Satsuma to use as tribute goods to bring to China. Ryukyuan envoys were also an important source of intelligence on Chinese political, social, and military goings-on for the Japanese; for this reason, the ''sekkôsen'' were sometimes also known as ''saukikibune'' (左右聞船), or "ships which listen in all directions."<ref>Akamine, 77-78.</ref>
The Kingdom of Ryûkyû, based on Okinawa Island, received ships from the other islands at the port of [[Tomari]], where warehouses stood for storing tribute goods from those islands. The ''[[Tomari satonushi]]'', the chief port official, oversaw in particular the reception of tribute payments and missions from the Amami Islands. Tribute from these outlying islands was sent in a variety of forms; for example, the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands, which had originally begun sending tribute in [[1390]], were permitted to send part of their tribute in the form of ''jôfu'' textiles beginning in [[1659]]. From [[1758]] onwards, the Yaeyama Islands were asked to send sea cucumbers, as well, as tribute goods, supplementing the marine products that the kingdom could send as tribute items, in turn, to China, in exchange for bullion and other valuable products. [[Meiwa tsunami|A tsunami]] devastated the area in [[1771]], killing an estimated 10,000 people in the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands; it took decades for these island communities - in terms of population, economy, etc. - to recover.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 96-97.</ref>
The Kingdom of Ryûkyû, based on Okinawa Island, received ships from the other islands at the port of [[Tomari]], where warehouses stood for storing tribute goods from those islands. The ''[[Tomari satonushi]]'', the chief port official, oversaw in particular the reception of tribute payments and missions from the Amami Islands. Tribute from these outlying islands was sent in a variety of forms; for example, the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands, which had originally begun sending tribute in [[1390]], were permitted to send part of their tribute in the form of ''jôfu'' textiles beginning in [[1659]]. From [[1758]] onwards, the Yaeyama Islands were asked to send sea cucumbers, as well, as tribute goods, supplementing the marine products that the kingdom could send as tribute items, in turn, to China, in exchange for bullion and other valuable products. [[Meiwa tsunami|A tsunami]] devastated the area in [[1771]], killing an estimated 10,000 people in the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands; it took decades for these island communities - in terms of population, economy, etc. - to recover.<ref>Robert Hellyer, ''Defining Engagement'', Harvard University Press (2009), 96-97.</ref>
