Changes

The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, O: ''kwanshin bujô'', "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>. A Ryukyuan office known as the ''[[hangaho|hangaahô]]'' in Japanese (C: ''píngjiàsī''), and based near the Tenshikan, set the prices of commodities imported in this way, and oversaw the purchases of the Chinese goods.<ref>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 45.; Schottenhammer, "Empire and Periphery?", 175n98.</ref>

The mission would usually consist of two official envoy ships, separate crafts carrying the chief envoy and his deputy, as some uncertainty accompanied the journey<ref name=kerr181>Kerr. p181.</ref>; these would be accompanied by a number of merchant ships. During Japan's [[Edo period]], an agent from Satsuma known as a ''kansen bugyô'' (冠船奉行, O: ''kwanshin bujô'', "Investiture (Crown) Ships Magistrate") would be sent down to Ryûkyû to supervise the exchanges and interactions between Chinese and Ryukyuan officials, albeit from somewhat of a distance, given the policy of hiding Satsuma's involvement in Ryûkyû from the Chinese<ref>Matsuda, Mitsugu. ''The Government of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, 1609-1872''. Gushikawa: Yui Publishing, Co., 2001. pp46-47.</ref>. A Ryukyuan office known as the ''[[hangaho|hangaahô]]'' in Japanese (C: ''píngjiàsī''), and based near the Tenshikan, set the prices of commodities imported in this way, and oversaw the purchases of the Chinese goods.<ref>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 45.; Schottenhammer, "Empire and Periphery?", 175n98.</ref>

Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/> at a residence known as the Tenshikan, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose (and reconstructed/restored in the late 20th century), including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of Shuri Castle, can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>, costing roughly 320,000 [[tael]]s of silver, much of which often had to be borrwed from Satsuma.<ref name=schott46>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 46.</ref> The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay, including for the occasions of [[Mid-Autumn Festival]] and [[Chrysanthemum Festival]], when there were extensive performances of music and dance within Shuri castle;<ref>Liao, 100.</ref> In addition, they were visited by senior officials and ministers once every five days, who brought the emissaries considerable amounts of food<ref name=chen/>.

Arriving in Shuri, the envoys generally stayed for four to eight months<ref name=shimpo/> at a residence known as the Tenshikan, and were extensively entertained by the Ryukyuan royal court. A number of structures built for this purpose (and reconstructed/restored in the late 20th century), including the [[Ryutan|Ryûtan]] pond and the Hokuden (North Hall) of Shuri Castle, can still be seen today on the castle grounds. The total Chinese entourage generally numbered between 300 and 800 people, and hosting and entertaining the Chinese envoys was an extremely expensive endeavor for the Ryukyuan court<ref name=kerr181/>, costing roughly 320,000 [[tael]]s of silver, much of which often had to be borrwed from Satsuma.<ref name=schott46>Schottenhammer, "East Asian Maritime World," 46.</ref> The envoys were treated to seven formal banquets during their stay, during which there were extensive performances of music and dance within Shuri castle;<ref>Liao, 100.</ref> These seven banquets were as follows: a banquet of condolences for the passing of the previous king (諭祭の宴, J: ''yusai no en''); a banquet of investiture (冊封の宴, J: ''sappô no en''); banquets for [[Mid-Autumn Festival]] (中秋の宴, J: ''chûshû no en'') and [[Chrysanthemum Festival]] (重陽の宴, J: ''chôyô no en''); and banquets for the exchange of farewell gifts (餞別の宴, J: ''senbetsu no en''), the envoys taking their leave (拝辞の宴, J: ''haiji no en''), and upon their actual departure (望舟の宴, J: ''bôshû no en'').<ref>Yeh, 63.</ref>

 

In addition, senior officials and ministers visited the envoys once every five days, bringing them considerable amounts of food and other necessities.<ref name=chen/>

A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>. In that year, the two dance-dramas ''[[Nido Tichiuchi|Gosamaru Tichiuchi]]'' and ''[[Shushin Kaniiri|Shûshin Kani'iri]]'' were debuted during the fourth banquet, following a series of eight ''[[Ryukyu odori|Ryûkyû odori]]'' dances during the third banquet, many of which are still performed today in some closely related form. Japanese music and dance was also often performed for the Chinese envoys.<ref>Miyagi Eishô, ''Ryûkyû shisha no Edo nobori'', Tokyo: Daiichi shobô (1982), 131-132.</ref>

A "Minister of Dance" ([[Okinawan language|O]]: ''udui bugyô'') oversaw these entertainments; ''[[kumi odori]]'', a traditional form of Ryukyuan dance-drama, was first created and performed for entertaining an investiture envoy and his fellows, in 1719<ref name=kumi>Foley, Kathy. "Kumi Odori's Historical Context and Performance Practice." in ''Ryukyu Geino: The Legacy of Kin Ryosho''. Jimpu Kai USA Kin Ryosho Ryukyu Geino Kenkyusho Hawaii Shibu, 2008. pp45-56.</ref>. In that year, the two dance-dramas ''[[Nido Tichiuchi|Gosamaru Tichiuchi]]'' and ''[[Shushin Kaniiri|Shûshin Kani'iri]]'' were debuted during the fourth banquet, following a series of eight ''[[Ryukyu odori|Ryûkyû odori]]'' dances during the third banquet, many of which are still performed today in some closely related form. Japanese music and dance was also often performed for the Chinese envoys.<ref>Miyagi Eishô, ''Ryûkyû shisha no Edo nobori'', Tokyo: Daiichi shobô (1982), 131-132.</ref>