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 (童名真钱金，号兰丛)

• 妃

　• 我谢上森按司加那志尚氏 (童名思真钱金，号梅岩。父为具志头王子朝盛尚宏）

• 继妃

　• 君丰见按司加那志马氏 (童名思真牛金，号兰闺。父为名护亲方良丰马良弼）

• 夫人

　• 西之按司加那志松氏 (童名真锅樽金，号凉月。父为一世大见武亲云上松定昌）

　• 真南风按司吴氏 (童名乙美金，号兰室。父为五世幸地亲方吴宗广）

　• 真南风按司乐氏 (童名真锅樽金，号南岳。父为四世田名掟亲云上乐昌敷）

• 妻

　• 与那原阿护母志良礼（父为与那原村平敷亲云上）

• 子女

　• 长男：尚恭（浦添王子朝良，母为妃。享年20）

　• 次男：尚文（中城王子朝益，母为妃，无嗣）

　• 三男：尚贤（久米中城王子，母为凉月）

　• 四男：尚质（佐敷王子，母为凉月）

　• 长女：首里大君按司加那志（童名思乙金。号彻心。母为妃。阿波根殿内一世，先为喜屋武殿内三世具志川按司向朝安之妻，后改嫁向朝明）

　• 次女：泽岻翁主（童名思真锅樽金。号碧莲。母为凉月。喜屋武殿内四世具志川按司朝庸向克祯之妻）

　• 三女：岛尻佐司笠按司加那志（童名真蜷甲金，号刚心。母为南岳。嘉味田殿内四世喜屋武按司朝古向良翰之妻）

　• 四女：与那城翁主（童名真鹤金，号玄祯。母为南岳。野村殿内六世大城亲方向朝诚之妻）

登场作品

• 「琉球之风」（1993年1月～6月，NHK大河剧，演员：金山一彦）

脚注

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|align="center" colspan="3"|尚丰王