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''Yukatchu'' (), also known as ''Samuree'' (), were the aristocracy of the
Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a Tributary system of China, tributary state of Ming dynasty, imperial Ming China by the King of Ryukyu, Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island t ...
. The
scholar-bureaucrats The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
of classical Chinese studies living in
Kumemura was an Okinawan community of scholars, bureaucrats, and diplomats in the port city of Naha near the royal capital of Shuri, which was a center of culture and learning during the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The people of Kumemura, traditionally ...
held most government positions.


Ryukyuan Caste System

The ''Yukatchu'' were part of a complex
caste system A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system. Within such a system, individuals are expected to marry exclusively within the same caste (endogamy), foll ...
that existed in Ryukyu for centuries. They were the feudal scholar-officials class that was charged with enforcing the law and providing military defense to the nation, Ryukyu Kingdom. The specific rank of a Yukatchu was noted by the color of his hat. Ryukyuan Caste System: *Royalty – Shō family :*: Prince :*: descendant of Prince, cadet branch of Royal House * –
scholar-official The scholar-officials, also known as literati, scholar-gentlemen or scholar-bureaucrats (), were government officials and prestigious scholars in Chinese society, forming a distinct social class. Scholar-officials were politicians and governmen ...
s :*: Lord :* ::*: upper Pechin ::*: middle Pechin ::*: lower Pechin :*: upper page :*: lower page * – commoners The Yukatchu class was also responsible for the development of and training methodology of their martial knowledge called Ti (Te). Later those knowledgeable in Ti’s methods would guide development of modern-day
Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
in the educational system of Okinawa. The Ryukyuan Yukatchu kept their family martial knowledge secret, passing down the methods proven reliable in family information transmitted directly to only one heir per generation, usually the eldest son. Each family retaining their unique perspective of knowledge in a perpetual process of living contribution with refinement.


The Unarmed Ryukyuan scholar-officials

The first time that the Yukatchu's weapons were confiscated was during the reign of King
Shō Shin was a king of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the third ruler of the second Shō dynasty. Shō Shin's long reign has been described as "the Great Days of Chūzan", a period of great peace and relative prosperity. He was the son of Shō En, the founder of ...
(1477–1526), who centralized the Ryukyu Kingdom by forcing the Aji to leave their respective
Magiri The administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom were a hierarchy composed of districts, ''magiri'', or cities, villages, and islands established by the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout the Ryukyu Islands. Divisions There were three or ''hō'': , , ...
and move to Shuri. He confiscated weapons from commoners and Yukatchu who weren't part of the Ryukyuan military to lower the possibility of rebellion. The second time that the Yukatchu were disarmed was after the invasion of 1609 by
Satsuma Domain The , briefly known as the , was a Han system, domain (''han'') of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan during the Edo period from 1600 to 1871. The Satsuma Domain was based at Kagoshima Castle in Satsuma Province, the core of the modern city of ...
, which prohibited the carrying of weapons by the Yukatchu. The Yukatchu, however, were not completely without weapons. Historians in Okinawa have recovered documents that state that Satsuma outlawed the ownership and sale of firearms in Okinawa, but the Yukatchu class and above were allowed to keep firearms that were already in their family's possession.
Toshihiro Oshiro is a martial arts master and instructor from Haneji, Okinawa, Ryukyu, Japan. Early life He began his study of Karate at age 6, eventually expanding his study to include Judo and Kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from ...
, historian and Okinawan martial arts master, states:


Meiji Period

Undoubtedly the Yukatchu class was the hardest hit by the changing times. They were the only class that did not have a clear place in the modern world. In 1872, the Japanese Meiji government proclaimed that the Ryukyu Kingdom was then
Ryukyu Domain The was a short-lived domain of the Empire of Japan, lasting from 1872 to 1879, and simultaneously a tributary state of the Qing Empire, until 1875, before being fully incorporated into Japan as the current Okinawa Prefecture and other islan ...
. In 1879, the Meiji government abolished the Ryukyu Domain and created
Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan. It consists of three main island groups—the Okinawa Islands, the Sakishima Islands, and the Daitō Islands—spread across a maritime zone approximately 1,000 kilometers east to west an ...
, annexing the former kingdom. ;Public Proclamation by Chief Secretary Matsuda of Ryukyu Han The hereditary lords of the Ryukyu Kingdom opposed annexation by Japan, but the Ryukyuan King forbade the Yukatchu from fighting the annexation. Ryukyu submitted to Japan's annexation plans and 300 lords, 2,000 aristocratic families and the king were removed from their positions of power. To avoid armed revolt in Okinawa, as had happened in Japan, special ceremonies were performed for the Yukatchu class, where they were permitted to accept defeat honorably, and ritually cut off their hair (top-knot). In Okinawa, the Yukatchu class lost a major source of income in 1903, when massive peasant protest sparked land reforms and the abolition of peasant taxes that sustained the Yukatchu. Many Yukatchu found themselves having to reveal their secret unarmed fighting techniques to commoners for income and to keep some element of status. Many Okinawan Karate styles list in their genealogy Karate masters of the Yukatchu class in the early stages of the style.


Martial arts

Warfare, law enforcement, and fighting systems were the primary business of the warrior class before the turn of the seventeenth century. Peasants, who often had to perform manual labor for eighteen hours a day to pay taxes to the upper classes and sustain themselves, did not have the energy, time or financial resources to practice the warrior arts. The warrior class, however, which was sustained by peasant taxes, could afford to send the first born male child of a warrior family to be trained in ''Ti'' and other warrior arts. Okinawan documents state that ''Ti'' or ''Kara-Ti'' was practiced only by the Yukatchu. There are early twentieth-century Japanese documents, however, which mention this secret fighting style as being practiced by the peasants of Okinawa. The disconnect often comes from Japanese ignorance of the Ryukyuan caste system and at times seeing Okinawans as inferior Japanese. Though, around the time of the creation of the Okinawa Prefecture, some Yukatchu were calling themselves "Samure"; the word derives from the Japanese term "
Samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
". Shōshin Nagamine (recipient of the Fifth Class Order of the Rising Sun from the Emperor of Japan) states in his book ''The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do'', on pg. 21 :''"The forbidden art (Kara-Te) was passed down from father to son among the samure class in Okinawa".'' The Okinawa Prefectural Government in recent years has tried to clarify misunderstandings by the West as to the history and development of Karate in Okinawa. The Okinawa Prefectural Government English and Japanese website, Karate and martial arts with weaponry, states that Karate was a secret of the Yukatchu. :''Okinawan Te was practiced exclusively among the Ryūkyū or Okinawan feudal scholar-officials ''(Ryūkyū Samure)'' – Pechin. Peasants were strictly prohibited from practicing or being taught these secret unarmed fighting techniques.''


History

At the beginning of the 17th century, around the time of the
invasion of Ryukyu The by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place from March to May of 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryukyu Kingdom's status as a vassal state under the Satsuma domain. The invasion force was met with stiff resistanc ...
by the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma, Kumemura and its community of Chinese scholars had deteriorated drastically; the royal government, along with that of Satsuma, then took action to revive it, and with it the aristocratic and intellectual culture of Ryukyu as a whole. The best and brightest of Ryukyu were invited to settle in Kumemura, pursue Chinese studies, and establish noble houses. Thus, the ''yukatchu'' class was formally created around 1650, and divided into a number of ranks and titles from high to low: ''
ueekata ,The same kanji (親方) are pronounced ''oyakata'' in Japanese, in which the term is used in a variety of contexts with meanings roughly corresponding to "master." For example, in sumo, the term is used to refer to coaches. in the Okinawan langu ...
'' (親方), '' peekumi'' (親雲上), ''satunushi'' (里之子) and ''shii'' (子), each rank being accompanied by a rice stipend. These stipends were quite small as compared to those of Japanese
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
, but were likely quite appreciated, particularly after 1712, when the number of ''yukatchu'' increased dramatically, along with competition for positions in the bureaucracy; at this time, stipends were no longer guaranteed to those without government posts. A ''yukatchu's'' primary purpose was to study traditional Chinese subjects; in addition to purely theoretic or academic studies, ''yukatchu'' of Kumemura were specifically cultivated for service in the royal bureaucracy, and in diplomatic relations with China. Though tribute missions to China were formally made once every two years, journeys between Ryukyu and
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
were in fact much more frequent. An embassy was established in Fujian where ''yukatchu'' lived and studied; a small number would come and go every few years, so the individual residents at this trading post were constantly changing. In addition, a number of ''yukatchu'' would travel to
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
for the formal tribute mission once every two years, and four Ryukyuan students were allowed to remain in Beijing's National Academy at any one time. In addition, many of the scholars sent to Fujian from Ryukyu were assigned to study a single, specific subject intensively, so as to become an expert, educating those at home in Ryukyu, and applying their new knowledge to administrative matters. Thus, the degree to which this entire class of people was supported by the government is far from insignificant, and serves as an important sign of the government's priorities and philosophy. In keeping good diplomatic and economic relations with China, the ''yukatchu'' acted not only to their own benefit and that of the Ryukyu royal government, but to the advantage of Satsuma and the Japanese central government, the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...
. Dominated by Satsuma, Ryukyu served as an intermediary for Sino-Japanese commerce, though every effort was taken to ensure that Ryukyu's connections to Japan be kept secret from China. Thus, the ''yukatchu'' and the general focus on Chinese studies throughout the small kingdom was crucial not only for the direct political and economic reasons, but to attaining those ends through maintaining culturally Chinese appearances. Towards the end of the 17th century, major reforms were encouraged by ''
sessei was the highest government post of the Ryūkyū Kingdom below the king; the ''sessei'' served the function of royal or national advisor. In the Ryukyuan languages, Ryukyuan language at the time, the pronunciation was closer to ''shisshii'', and h ...
'' (chief minister) Shō Shōken. By this point, the forced revival of the community pushed through decades earlier had been too successful, and had led to the creation of an aristocracy which led a fairly overindulgent, extravagant lifestyle, which had a noticeably negative effect on the overall prosperity and well-being of the kingdom. Shō Shōken thus encouraged the ''yukatchu'', and elements of the royal government itself, to cut down on the extravagance of their festivals and ceremonies. Largely successful in immediate economic terms, the evolving nature of the aristocratic class was something much more difficult to control. By 1700 or so, thirty years after the end of Shō Shōken's time, the ''yukatchu'' had developed truly into an aristocratic class, defining themselves by birth, by their rankings, wealth, and family name, more so than by their education or intellect. Sai On, a top government official from 1712 to the early 1750s, sought to return Ryukyu and the ''yukatchu'' to their proper cultural and intellectual path. He described in his autobiography incidents in which he, the son of a low-ranked ''yukatchu'' family, was ridiculed by higher-ranking aristocratic children, despite his superior education and talent. Among his many reforms, he created opportunities for ''yukatchu'' without government posts to earn a living as farmers or forestry managers. He also issued regulations for the ''yukatchu'' in 1730, banning prostitution, which blossomed at the time and disrupted the noble nature of the aristocratic class, and setting mandates regarding the status of illegitimate offspring. There was opposition to Sai On's
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...
reforms, and political factions emerged among the ''yukatchu'', those of Kumemura and those of Shuri (the capital) on opposite sides for the most part. One group of Shuri ''yukatchu'', led by Heshikiya Chōbin, spoke out against the strict, repressive Confucian system of ethics, advocating a more natural, Buddhistic attitude, and exclaiming the importance of love and equality among all people. The number of ''yukatchu'' increased dramatically again at the end of the 18th century, as families who contributed to the support of the impoverished government were accorded noble status in exchange. Perhaps one of the most damaging events for the stability and importance of the Kumemura ''yukatchu'' community was the establishment and gradual development of academies, and eventually a university, in Shuri. Though Kumemura had an institution of its own, the Meirindō, which trained diplomats for work in China, the unique purpose for which the ''yukatchu'' had been established nearly two centuries earlier was being challenged by the bureaucrats of Shuri; no longer was Kumemura the sole, or arguably even the primary, center of classical learning in Ryukyu. Ultimately, the kingdom did not remain independent long enough for this decline to reach its full potential. When Ryukyu was formally annexed by Japan in 1879, Shigenori Uesugi,Note: all Japanese names after 1867 are presented in Western order, given name followed by family name. the second appointed governor of the new territory, accused the ''yukatchu'' class as a whole of oppressing the Ryukyuan peasantry, and efforts were made to remove the nobles from power. For this reason, and others, many ''yukatchu'' fled to
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
in China. The third governor, Michitoshi Iwamura, largely reversed this policy, supporting the maintenance of stipends for high-ranking ''yukatchu'', retaining experienced bureaucrats in the administration of the
prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...
, and lending economic aid to those without stipends. As a result, many ''yukatchu'' returned from China; stipends continued to be paid until 1909. Though Japanese policy was originally largely one of continuation of old traditions, by the turn of the 20th century, nationwide efforts to provide uniform education and create a uniform culture and language were implemented in Okinawa as they were throughout the nation. The 1896 formation of the Kōdōkai ("Society for Public Unity") by former prince
Shō En , previously known as , was a king of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the founder of the Second Shō dynasty. Early life and rise to power Kanamaru was born into a family of peasant farmers on Izena Island,"Shō En." ''Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten'' ( ...
and a number of ''yukatchu'', arguing against assimilation, can be said to be the final "gasp" of the ''yukatchu'', twenty years after the abolition of the samurai class in "mainland" Japan.


Terminology

''Samuree'', a Ryukyuan pronunciation of the Japanese word "
samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
", was often used interchangeably with ''yukatchu'' at the time, as both were aristocratic classes in their respective cultures. However, since the samurai were essentially warriors and the ''yukatchu'' scholars, the two terms do not truly share the same connotations. Similarly,
Gregory Smits Gregory James Smits (born 1960) is an American historian, academic, writer and Japanologist. He is a professor of Japanese history at Pennsylvania State University.Pennsylvania State University "Gregory James Smits"; retrieved 2013-3-22. Early l ...
points out that while "noble" and "aristocrat" are commonly used to refer to ''yukatchu'' in English-language texts, these terms too have particular connotations based on their European origins which do not truly apply to the Ryukyuan case. The Aji constituted the true nobility.


References

* Smits, Gregory. (1999). "Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics." Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. * ''The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do'' by Shosin Nagamine * http://www.oshirodojo.com/kobudo_sai.html * http://calmartialarts.com/karatearticle.shtml {{Government of the Ryukyu Kingdom Ryukyuan nobility Nobility in Asia