was the highest rank in the yukatchu

Yukatchu

Yukatchu were the aristocracy of the Ryūkyū Kingdom; the scholar-bureaucrats of classical Chinese studies living in Kumemura, they held the majority of government positions.-History:...

 aristocracy of Okinawa's Ryūkyū Kingdom

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...

 though it was still below the aji nobility. Members of the , a very high-ranking governmental body, were chosen from among the ueekata.

Ueekata rank was generally obtained as the last step in a progression from shii (子) rank to satonushi (里之子), then to peekumi (親雲上), and finally to ueekata. As with other Ryukyuan aristocratic titles, a member would often be referred to by their title, along with an associated placename. For example, royal government official Tei Dō (1549-1611) is equally well-known by the title Jana Ueekata, or "ueekata of Jana," Jana (謝名) being an area (specifically, an azana) within what is today the city of Ginowan, Okinawa

Ginowan, Okinawa

is a city located in Okinawa, Japan. As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 88,318 and the density of 4,526.81 persons per km². The total area is 19.51 km². The city borders Chatan to the west, Okinawa City to the North, Urasoe to the south and Nishihara to the East.- Politics and...

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Holders of ueekata rank wore purple hachimachi headbands, the color being a symbol of rank.