Giwan Choho

A politician and poet in the final days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. His Chinese name was Sho Yuko. Born into a clan in Shuri, he was appointed to the highest political position in the kingdom, Sanshikan, in 1859 (Ansei 6). With the establishment of the Meiji Restoration and the establishment of the Meiji government, the issue of Ryukyu's sovereignty came into focus, and in 1872 (Meiji 5), the government first declared the abolition of the kingdom and the establishment of the Ryukyu Domain. Iwan, who accepted this policy, was held accountable for his political actions by anti-Meiji government factions within Ryukyu, and was forced to resign. He died in agony in despair without seeing the establishment of Okinawa Prefecture (1879). He left behind many works as a poet, and is known as the editor of collections such as "Chohoshu" and "Shofushu," as well as "Okinawashu." "I am more happy to be living in this great emperor's reign than I was in the past," is an impromptu poem expressing the feelings he had upon accepting the establishment of the Ryukyu Domain.

[Takara Kurayoshi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

琉球(りゅうきゅう)王国末期の政治家、歌人。唐名を向有恒(しょうゆうこう)という。首里の門閥の出で、1859年（安政6）王国最高の政治的地位三司官(さんしかん)に就任した。明治維新となり明治政府が成立すると、琉球の帰属問題がクローズアップされたが、72年（明治5）政府はまず王国を廃して琉球藩の設置を宣言した。この施策を受諾した宜湾は琉球内の反明治政府派によりその政治責任を追及され失脚し、沖縄県の設置（1879）をみぬまま失意のうちに悶死(もんし)した。歌人としても多くの作品を残し、『朝保集』『松風集』などの作品集のほか、『沖縄集』の編者としても知られる。「いにしへの人にまさりて嬉(うれ)しきはこの大御代(みよ)に逢へるなりけり」は琉球藩設置を受諾した際の心境を即席でうたったものである。

［高良倉吉］

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