Yonabaru Ryôku was a [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] scholar-official who served as a member of the [[Sanshikan]] for 28 years, from [[1769]] until [[1797]]. He is also considered one of the ''[[sanjurokkasen|36 greatest poets]] of Ryûkyû.
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Yonabaru Ryôku was a [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] scholar-official who served as a member of the [[Sanshikan]] for 28 years, from [[1769]] until [[1796]]. He is also considered one of the [[sanjurokkasen|36 greatest poets]] of Ryûkyû.
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Yonabaru was a member of a branch of the Uruku ''dunchi'' Ba family started by [[Ba Ryosen|Ba Urasoe ''ueekata'' Ryôsen]]<!--馬良詮-->; this branch held the position of ''[[jito (Ryukyu)|sô-jitô]]'' of [[Ozato gusuku|Ôzato]] ''[[magiri]]''.
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Ryôku was a member of a branch of the Uruku ''dunchi'' Ba family started by [[Ba Ryosen|Ba Urasoe ''ueekata'' Ryôsen]]<!--馬良詮-->. This branch held the position of ''[[jito (Ryukyu)|sô-jitô]]'' of [[Ozato gusuku|Ôzato]] ''[[magiri]]'', and included nine other members of the Sanshikan, including [[Ba Ryokyo|Ba Ryôkyô]] and [[Ba Ryoketsu|Ba Ryôketsu]].
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Ryôku led a [[tribute]] mission to Beijing in [[1762]] and traveled to [[Kagoshima]] in [[1765]] to report the success of that mission. He was appointed to the Sanshikan in 1769 and served in that position until his retirement in 1796.
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Known for his virtue and for his numerous ''[[ryuka|ryûka]]'' poems, towards the end of his life he came to be known as ''kunshi ueekata'', or, roughly, "the gentleman official." He was also known for his talent in writing Japanese-language prose.