Life

Shō Hō was the fourth son of Shō Kyū, the third son of King Shō Gen. In 1616, he was appointed kokushō, a high government position akin to prime minister or chief royal advisor, which would later be replaced with sessei.

Three years later, Shō Hō was named Prince of Nakagusuku and given Nakagusuku magiri as his ___domain. King Shō Nei died without an heir in 1621, and Shō Hō was selected to succeed him. As the first king to be enthroned since Satsuma's invasion in 1609, formal permission and acknowledgment of the king's authority and legitimacy was required before performing the coronation ceremony, sending heralds to China, and assuming the responsibilities of the throne. In addition, while Shō Hō retained powers related to organization of offices and administration of punishments, along with all the ritual prestige of the throne, Shō Nei was the last king of Ryukyu to rule personally, directly, and absolutely as monarch. Much of the decisions and behavior of Shō Hō's government were subject to Satsuma's approval.

Relations with China were also strained. At the start of Shō Hō's reign, Okinawan tribute ships were only welcome in Fuzhou once every ten years. The Chinese Imperial Court had reduced the tribute missions to this frequency following the Japanese invasion in 1609, claiming that it was done in consideration of the instability and poverty that the chaos of the invasion must have brought to the kingdom. In fact, these tribute missions, the only legal method of trading with Ming China, were essential to the kingdom's economic prosperity. Therefore, in 1623, when investiture missions were exchanged, the Ryukyuan officials pushed for a return to the system of sending tribute every other year; it was decided that missions would be allowed once every five years.

After a twenty-year reign, Shō Hō died in 1640, and was succeeded by his son, Shō Ken.

家族

• 父

　• 尚久（大金武王子朝公）

• 母

　• 金武大按司加那志 (童名真錢金，號蘭叢)

• 妃

　• 我謝上森按司加那志尚氏 (童名思真錢金，號梅岩。父為具志頭王子朝盛尚宏）

• 繼妃

　• 君豐見按司加那志馬氏 (童名思真牛金，號蘭閨。父為名護親方良豐馬良弼）

• 夫人

　• 西之按司加那志松氏 (童名真鍋樽金，號涼月。父為一世大見武親雲上松定昌）

　• 真南風按司吳氏 (童名乙美金，號蘭室。父為五世幸地親方吳宗廣）

　• 真南風按司樂氏 (童名真鍋樽金，號南嶽。父為四世田名掟親雲上樂昌敷）

• 妻

　• 與那原阿護母志良禮（父為與那原村平敷親雲上）

• 子女

　• 長男：尚恭（浦添王子朝良，母為妃。享年20）

　• 次男：尚文（中城王子朝益，母為妃，無嗣）

　• 三男：尚賢（久米中城王子，母為涼月）

　• 四男：尚質（佐敷王子，母為涼月）

　• 長女：首里大君按司加那志（童名思乙金。號徹心。母為妃。阿波根殿內一世，先為喜屋武殿內三世具志川按司向朝安之妻，後改嫁向朝明）

　• 次女：澤岻翁主（童名思真鍋樽金。號碧蓮。母為涼月。喜屋武殿內四世具志川按司朝庸向克禎之妻）

　• 三女：島尻佐司笠按司加那志（童名真蜷甲金，號剛心。母為南嶽。嘉味田殿內四世喜屋武按司朝古向良翰之妻）

　• 四女：與那城翁主（童名真鶴金，號玄禎。母為南嶽。野村殿內六世大城親方向朝誠之妻）

登場作品

• 「琉球之風」（1993年1月～6月，NHK大河劇，演員：金山一彥）

腳註

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|align="center" colspan="3"|尚豐王