Sho Tai
Encyclopedia
was the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
(r. 1848– March 11, 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States
, as well as the eventual end of the kingdom and its annexation by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture
.
In 1879, the deposed king was forced to relocate to Tokyo. In compensation, he was made a marquis in the Meiji system of peerage.
While Westerners had been coming to the Ryūkyūs for several decades prior to Shō Tai's accession in 1848, and were almost always greeted warmly and provided with supplies, it was not until the 1850s that formal policies allowed and encouraged trade and relations with Europeans and Americans. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry made port at Naha several times, both before and immediately after his famous landing at Uraga Harbor in 1853; the Commodore was never permitted to meet with the young king, despite his demands and his forced march to, and entry into, Shuri Castle
. He did, however, meet with the royal regent and other high officials of the royal government, eventually yielding the Lew Chew Compact of 1854, along with other agreements, which could be said to parallel the Convention of Kanagawa
signed that same year by representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate
, and to represent the "opening" of Ryūkyū to trade and relations with the United States. Trade and relations with other Western powers soon followed, backed by Shimazu Nariakira
, lord of Satsuma, who saw in the process opportunities to gain wealth and power. Relations with France
were particularly strong; a French Mission was established in Naha
, which in 1857 formally granted a number of items of field artillery
to Shō Tai.
Nariakira died suddenly in 1858. He was succeeded by his half-brother Shimazu Hisamitsu
, to whom Shō Tai was obliged to formally swear anew the oath of loyalty to the Shimazu clan
that he and his ancestors had sworn since 1611. Hisamitsu reversed his half-brother's policies regarding Ryūkyū's interactions with the West; Satsuma's radical opposition to foreign influence
was a driving force in the events of the following decade in Japan.
It was not until 1864, after Shō Tai had been on the throne for sixteen years, that the customary mission was sent to China to formally request investiture
from the Chinese Imperial Court
. Chinese representatives journeyed to Ryūkyū two years later, formally granting on behalf of the Tongzhi Emperor
recognition of Shō Tai's authority as king.
, and the abolition of the han system
four years later, the relationship of the kingdom to the former Satsuma Domain (now Kagoshima Prefecture
) and to the new Japanese central government at Tokyo
was unclear and a subject of controversy between various factions in the central government. Shō Tai, his advisors or officials were never consulted for advice, consent, or opinions.
At the same time, in 1871, there occurred an incident in which a Ryūkyūan ship wrecked on the Taiwan
coast and its crew was killed by the local natives. Kagoshima pressured Shō Tai to send a formal petition to Tokyo, asking for redress; the event would blossom into an international incident
and eventually lead to the dispatch of a Japanese military expedition to Taiwan in 1874
. To help resolve this problem and others concerning the relationship between Ryūkyū and Japan, Shō Tai was advised to journey to Tokyo and formally pay his respects to Emperor Meiji
, acknowledging at the same time his (and therefore his kingdom's) subordination to the Emperor of Japan. Shō Tai refused, and sent Prince Ie, his uncle, and Ginowan Ueekata, one of the kingdom's top ministers, in his place, claiming illness prevented him from making the journey himself. At Tokyo, the envoys were presented, on behalf of their king, with a proclamation declaring the kingdom to now be "Ryūkyū han", that is, a feudal domain under the Japanese emperor in the manner of those abolished the previous year in the Japan mainland. This new arrangement meant freedom from subordination to Satsuma, but it also meant incorporation into Japan and subordination to the Imperial government in Tokyo.
A pair of missions led by Matsuda Michiyuki, Chief Secretary of the Home Ministry, in 1875 and 1879 were aimed at reorganizing the administrative structure of Ryūkyū. Shō Tai and several of his chief ministers were granted formal ranks in the Japanese Imperial Court, and the king was ordered to appear in person in Tokyo; he again claimed illness. Prince Nakijin led a small group of officials to express the domain's gratitude in his place. However, the king’s intransigence in refusing to come to Tokyo, and continued direct foreign relations with China was a matter of great concern to the new Meiji leadership, and Home Minister Ito Hirobumi
drew up plans in 1878 to end the domain’s autonomous and semi-ambiguous status.
On March 11, 1879, Shō Tai formally abdicated upon the orders of Tokyo, which abolished Ryūkyū han and created Okinawa Prefecture
, with officials appointed from Tokyo to administer the islands. The former king was made to leave his palace, which he did on March 30, and to move to Tokyo, which he did after some delays owing to supposed illness and inability to travel, leaving Okinawa finally on May 27, and arriving in Yokohama
on June 8, from whence he traveled with his entourage of 96 courtiers to Tokyo.
After meeting with Emperor Meiji
on June 17, 1879, he was incorporated into the newly established kazoku
peerage with the title of . In the rest of his life he returned to Okinawa only once, in 1884, to pay formal respects to his ancestors at Tamaudun
, the royal mausoleum in Shuri
.
Chinese Viceroy
Li Hongzhang
protested the annexation of the former kingdom, and attempted to reopen the question of Ryūkyū's sovereignty, by entering into discussions with former US president Ulysses S. Grant
and officials in Tokyo, but without success.
Tokyo statesman Ōkubo Toshimichi
suggested in 1875 that if Marquis Shō Tai were to be made hereditary governor of Okinawa, it would help quiet anti-Japanese elements in Okinawa and would help the prefecture better assimilate into the nation. A major Okinawan movement called the Kōdō-kai
proposed the same some years later, but the idea was ultimately rejected by Tokyo as it could represent a failure of the current administration and could reignite issues over sovereignty of the islands.
Though now a Marquis, much of the same formalities and rituals appropriate for the Ryūkyūan king continued to be performed for Shō Tai. He moved in the elite circles of Tokyo, and became involved in business. Interests associated with the Shō family attempted to develop a copper mining operation on Okinawa in 1887, a prospect that yielded little. The Marquis' business managers, however, did succeed in establishing an Osaka
-based company called "Maruichi Shōten," which dealt in native Okinawan products, selling them in Osaka and distributing them across the country.
Shō Tai died in 1901, at the age of 58, and was entombed in the royal mausoleum at Shuri, Tamaudun
. His family observed traditional Ryūkyūan mourning rituals for two years, after which they gave up traditional costume, rituals, court language, and ways of life, adopting those of the rest of the Japanese kazoku aristocracy.
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Ryukyu Kingdom
The Ryūkyū Kingdom was an independent kingdom which ruled most of the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th century to the 19th century. The Kings of Ryūkyū unified Okinawa Island and extended the kingdom to the Amami Islands in modern-day Kagoshima Prefecture, and the Sakishima Islands near Taiwan...
(r. 1848– March 11, 1879). His reign saw greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, as well as the eventual end of the kingdom and its annexation by Japan as Okinawa Prefecture
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
.
In 1879, the deposed king was forced to relocate to Tokyo. In compensation, he was made a marquis in the Meiji system of peerage.
Early Reign
Shō Tai became king of Ryūkyū at the age of six, and reigned for nearly 31 years. Developments surrounding pressures from Western powers to open the kingdom up to trade, formal relations, and the free coming and going and settlement of Westerners in the Ryukyu Islands dominated the first decade or two of his reign.While Westerners had been coming to the Ryūkyūs for several decades prior to Shō Tai's accession in 1848, and were almost always greeted warmly and provided with supplies, it was not until the 1850s that formal policies allowed and encouraged trade and relations with Europeans and Americans. Commodore Matthew Calbraith Perry made port at Naha several times, both before and immediately after his famous landing at Uraga Harbor in 1853; the Commodore was never permitted to meet with the young king, despite his demands and his forced march to, and entry into, Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle is a gusuku in Shuri, Okinawa. It was the palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed...
. He did, however, meet with the royal regent and other high officials of the royal government, eventually yielding the Lew Chew Compact of 1854, along with other agreements, which could be said to parallel the Convention of Kanagawa
Convention of Kanagawa
On March 31, 1854, the or was concluded between Commodore Matthew C. Perry of the U.S. Navy and the Tokugawa shogunate.-Treaty of Peace and Amity :...
signed that same year by representatives of the Tokugawa Shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
, and to represent the "opening" of Ryūkyū to trade and relations with the United States. Trade and relations with other Western powers soon followed, backed by Shimazu Nariakira
Shimazu Nariakira
was a Japanese feudal lord of the Edo period, the 28th in the line of Shimazu clan lords of Satsuma Domain. He was renowned as an intelligent and wise lord, and was greatly interested in Western learning and technology...
, lord of Satsuma, who saw in the process opportunities to gain wealth and power. Relations with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
were particularly strong; a French Mission was established in Naha
Naha, Okinawa
is the capital city of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa.Naha is a coastal city located on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of the Ryukyu Islands...
, which in 1857 formally granted a number of items of field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
to Shō Tai.
Nariakira died suddenly in 1858. He was succeeded by his half-brother Shimazu Hisamitsu
Shimazu Hisamitsu
Prince , also known as ', was a Japanese samurai of the late Edo period. The younger brother of Shimazu Nariakira, Hisamitsu served as regent for his underage son Tadayoshi , who became the 12th and last lord. Hisamitsu was instrumental in the efforts of the southern Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tosa clans...
, to whom Shō Tai was obliged to formally swear anew the oath of loyalty to the Shimazu clan
Shimazu clan
The were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
that he and his ancestors had sworn since 1611. Hisamitsu reversed his half-brother's policies regarding Ryūkyū's interactions with the West; Satsuma's radical opposition to foreign influence
Sonno joi
is a Japanese political philosophy and a social movement derived from Neo-Confucianism; it became a political slogan in the 1850s and 1860s in the movement to overthrow the Tokugawa bakufu, during the Bakumatsu period.-Origin:...
was a driving force in the events of the following decade in Japan.
It was not until 1864, after Shō Tai had been on the throne for sixteen years, that the customary mission was sent to China to formally request investiture
Investiture
Investiture, from the Latin is a rather general term for the formal installation of an incumbent...
from the Chinese Imperial Court
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. Chinese representatives journeyed to Ryūkyū two years later, formally granting on behalf of the Tongzhi Emperor
Tongzhi Emperor
The Tongzhi Emperor , born Aisin-Gioro Dzai Šun, was the tenth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress...
recognition of Shō Tai's authority as king.
Meiji Restoration
Following the 1868 Meiji RestorationMeiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
, and the abolition of the han system
Abolition of the han system
The was an act, in 1871, of the new Meiji government of the Empire of Japan to replace the traditional feudal domain system and to introduce centralized government authority . This process marked the culmination of the Meiji Restoration in that all daimyo were required to return their authority...
four years later, the relationship of the kingdom to the former Satsuma Domain (now Kagoshima Prefecture
Kagoshima Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu. The capital is the city of Kagoshima.- Geography :Kagoshima Prefecture is located at the southwest tip of Kyushu and includes a chain of islands stretching further to the southwest for a few hundred kilometers...
) and to the new Japanese central government at Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
was unclear and a subject of controversy between various factions in the central government. Shō Tai, his advisors or officials were never consulted for advice, consent, or opinions.
At the same time, in 1871, there occurred an incident in which a Ryūkyūan ship wrecked on the Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
coast and its crew was killed by the local natives. Kagoshima pressured Shō Tai to send a formal petition to Tokyo, asking for redress; the event would blossom into an international incident
International incident
An international incident is a seemingly relatively small or limited action or clash that results in a wider dispute between two or more nation-states...
and eventually lead to the dispatch of a Japanese military expedition to Taiwan in 1874
Taiwan Expedition of 1874
The , usually referred to in Taiwan and mainland China as the Mudan incident , was a punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in retaliation for the murder of 54 Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan aborigines near the southwestern tip of Taiwan in December 1871...
. To help resolve this problem and others concerning the relationship between Ryūkyū and Japan, Shō Tai was advised to journey to Tokyo and formally pay his respects to Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
, acknowledging at the same time his (and therefore his kingdom's) subordination to the Emperor of Japan. Shō Tai refused, and sent Prince Ie, his uncle, and Ginowan Ueekata, one of the kingdom's top ministers, in his place, claiming illness prevented him from making the journey himself. At Tokyo, the envoys were presented, on behalf of their king, with a proclamation declaring the kingdom to now be "Ryūkyū han", that is, a feudal domain under the Japanese emperor in the manner of those abolished the previous year in the Japan mainland. This new arrangement meant freedom from subordination to Satsuma, but it also meant incorporation into Japan and subordination to the Imperial government in Tokyo.
A pair of missions led by Matsuda Michiyuki, Chief Secretary of the Home Ministry, in 1875 and 1879 were aimed at reorganizing the administrative structure of Ryūkyū. Shō Tai and several of his chief ministers were granted formal ranks in the Japanese Imperial Court, and the king was ordered to appear in person in Tokyo; he again claimed illness. Prince Nakijin led a small group of officials to express the domain's gratitude in his place. However, the king’s intransigence in refusing to come to Tokyo, and continued direct foreign relations with China was a matter of great concern to the new Meiji leadership, and Home Minister Ito Hirobumi
Ito Hirobumi
Prince was a samurai of Chōshū domain, Japanese statesman, four time Prime Minister of Japan , genrō and Resident-General of Korea. Itō was assassinated by An Jung-geun, a Korean nationalist who was against the annexation of Korea by the Japanese Empire...
drew up plans in 1878 to end the domain’s autonomous and semi-ambiguous status.
Abdication and exile
Okinawa Prefecture
is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...
, with officials appointed from Tokyo to administer the islands. The former king was made to leave his palace, which he did on March 30, and to move to Tokyo, which he did after some delays owing to supposed illness and inability to travel, leaving Okinawa finally on May 27, and arriving in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
on June 8, from whence he traveled with his entourage of 96 courtiers to Tokyo.
After meeting with Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
on June 17, 1879, he was incorporated into the newly established kazoku
Kazoku
The was the hereditary peerage of the Empire of Japan that existed between 1869 and 1947.-Origins:Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the ancient court nobility of Kyoto regained some of its lost status...
peerage with the title of . In the rest of his life he returned to Okinawa only once, in 1884, to pay formal respects to his ancestors at Tamaudun
Tamaudun
is a mausoleum in Shuri, Okinawa, built for Ryūkyūan royalty in 1501 by King Shō Shin, the third king of the second Shō dynasty a short distance from Shuri Castle....
, the royal mausoleum in Shuri
Shuri, Japan
is a district of the city of Naha, Okinawa. It was formerly a separate city unto itself, and the royal capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. A number of famous historical sites are located in Shuri, including Shuri Castle, the Shureimon gate, Sunuhyan-utaki , and royal mausoleum Tamaudun, all of which are...
.
Chinese Viceroy
Viceroy of Zhili
The Viceroy of Zhili , fully referred to as the Governor General of Zhili and surrounding areas; Overseeing Military Affairs, Food Production; Manager of Waterways; Director of Civil Affairs , was one of eight regional viceroys in China proper during the Qing Dynasty of China...
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
protested the annexation of the former kingdom, and attempted to reopen the question of Ryūkyū's sovereignty, by entering into discussions with former US president Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and officials in Tokyo, but without success.
Tokyo statesman Ōkubo Toshimichi
Okubo Toshimichi
, was a Japanese statesman, a samurai of Satsuma, and one of the three great nobles who led the Meiji Restoration. He is regarded as one of the main founders of modern Japan.-Early life:...
suggested in 1875 that if Marquis Shō Tai were to be made hereditary governor of Okinawa, it would help quiet anti-Japanese elements in Okinawa and would help the prefecture better assimilate into the nation. A major Okinawan movement called the Kōdō-kai
Kodo-kai
The Kodo-kai is a yakuza criminal organization based in Nagoya, Japan. It is a secondary organization of the Sixth Yamaguchi-gumi, the largest known yakuza syndicate in Japan...
proposed the same some years later, but the idea was ultimately rejected by Tokyo as it could represent a failure of the current administration and could reignite issues over sovereignty of the islands.
Though now a Marquis, much of the same formalities and rituals appropriate for the Ryūkyūan king continued to be performed for Shō Tai. He moved in the elite circles of Tokyo, and became involved in business. Interests associated with the Shō family attempted to develop a copper mining operation on Okinawa in 1887, a prospect that yielded little. The Marquis' business managers, however, did succeed in establishing an Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
-based company called "Maruichi Shōten," which dealt in native Okinawan products, selling them in Osaka and distributing them across the country.
Shō Tai died in 1901, at the age of 58, and was entombed in the royal mausoleum at Shuri, Tamaudun
Tamaudun
is a mausoleum in Shuri, Okinawa, built for Ryūkyūan royalty in 1501 by King Shō Shin, the third king of the second Shō dynasty a short distance from Shuri Castle....
. His family observed traditional Ryūkyūan mourning rituals for two years, after which they gave up traditional costume, rituals, court language, and ways of life, adopting those of the rest of the Japanese kazoku aristocracy.
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