Kunigami Chōchi Explained

Kunigami Chōchi
Native Name:国頭 朝致
Native Name Lang:ja
Office:sanshikan of Ryukyu
Term Start:1622
Term End:1635
Predecessor:Tomigusuku Seizoku
Successor:Urasoe Chōri
Birth Date:?
Birth Place:Ryukyu Kingdom
Death Date:27 July 1635
Death Place:Fujian Province, Ming China
Blank1:Childhood name
Blank2:Chinese name
Data2:Shō Kakurei (向 鶴齢)
Blank3:Rank
Data3:Ueekata
Parents:Urasoe Chōshi (father)

, also known by and his Chinese style name, was a bureaucrat of Ryukyu Kingdom.[1]

Kunigami was the originator of an aristocrat family called Shō-uji Ōgimi Dunchi (Japanese: 向氏大宜見殿内).[1] He was a son of Urasoe Chōshi, and was also an elder brother of Urasoe Chōri. He was elected as a member of Sanshikan in 1622.[2]

In 1633, King Shō Hō dispatched him and Sai Ken (Japanese: 蔡 堅, also known as Kiyuna Pekumi Japanese: 喜友名親雲上) as a gratitude envoy for his investiture to Ming China. Kunigami requested for permission to pay tribute twice every three years just like before the country was invaded by Satsuma. It was approved by Chongzhen Emperor.[1] [3] Two years later, Kunigami was serious ill on the way home and died in Fujian Province.[2]

Notes and References

  1. "Kunigami Chōchi." Okinawa konpakuto jiten (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia").
  2. Web site: 中山王府相卿伝職年譜 向祐等著写本 . 2017-06-27 . 2017-09-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170902092648/http://manwe.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/d-archive/s/viewer?&cd=00030240 . dead .
  3. Chūzan Seifu, vol.8