Profiles of Giants of the Ryukyuan Music Performing Arts ①

Profiles of Giants of the Ryukyuan Music Performing Arts ①

Haneji Choshu or Sho Jo Ken, a prince of the ryukyu kingdom was born in 1617. He became one of the most influential persons of the Ryukyuan 17^th century. With the reality of Japanese shadow occupation; policy began to reflect the necessity to appease the new Japanese authority. The first Ryukyuan history book, written by Choshu, reflects this fact. It states that the Ryukyuan kings of old were related to the Japanese imperial line of Japan through the legend of Minanmoto being King Shunten`s father (Detailed in future article). In 1666 at age 50, he became sessho, or prime minister. He implemented many policies that brought Ryukyu more in line with the Shogunate. The most powerful cultural reform was the demotion of the position of High Priestess and marginalization of the noro organization. He also implemented to the precedent that all public officials be proficient in a performing art, such as sanshin, dance, tea ceremony, etc… All of the major policy reforms are collected in a book named the, Haneji Shiori. He passed away in 1675, at the age of 59.