Yoshimura Udun

(from Japanese Wikipedia, translation by Andreas Quast)

The Yoshimura Udun is a Ryūkyū royal family that originated in Shō Shū aka Yoshimura Ōji Chōgi, 3rd son of King Shō Boku (1739-1794). It is a daimyō (feudal lord) household of the Ryūkyū kingdom which served as aji-jitō of Kochinda magiri (today’s Yaese-chō Kochinda district) and is a branch house of the 2nd Dynasty of the Royal Shō-clan.

The first head of family, Chōgi, was originally appointed as aji-jitō (royal estate steward) of Katsuren magiri, and also had the family name of Katsuren. However, it was renamed to Yoshimura because the word “Katsu” became prohibited to be used. Even after being transferred to serve as the aji-jitō of Kochinda magiri, he continued to be called Yoshimura. Chōgi served the regent (sessei) on behalf of King Shō On (1784-1802). The 2nd family head, Chōken, was famous as a skillful tanka poet and one of the thirty-six representative poets of the Ryūkyū Kingdom era.

Since there was often no heir to the Yoshimura Udun, he was adopted and maintained his family until abolition of the Ryūkyū feudal domain and establishment of Okinawa prefecture. The 3rd generation Chōmei, resisted the abolition of the feudal domain and establishment of the prefecture as a member of the a stubborn party and fled to the Qing dynasty (China, 1644-1912) and launched an independence movement, but died there.

Genealogy

• 1st generation: Shō Shū aka Yoshimura Ōji Chōgi
• 2nd generation: Shō Seiken aka Yoshimura Aji Chōboku
• 2nd generation: Shō Tenho aka Yoshimura Ōji Chōken
• 3rd generation: Shō Ken aka Yoshimura Ōji Chōshō (sixth son of King Shō Kō)
• 3rd generation: Shō Shirei aka Yoshimura Aji Chōmei (fifth son of Ō Uēkata Chōshō)
• 4th generation: Shō Meiryō, aka Oroku (Yoshimura) Aji Chōshin
• 4th generation: Shō Meitoku, aka Yoshimura Aji Chōgi

Bibliographical references

• Okinawa-ken Shisei Kakei Daiijiten Hensan Iinkai: Okinawa-ken Shisei Kakeidai Jiten (Large Dictionary of Family Names from Okinawa Prefecture). Kodokawa Shoten 1992. ISBN 978-404002470.
• Miyazato Chōkō (ed.): Okinawa Monchū Daijiten (Large Dictionary of Paternal Kinship Groups of Okinawa). Naha Shuppan-sha, 1998.
• Higa Chōshin: Shizoku Monchū Kafu (Genealogies of Patrilineal Kinship Groups of the Shizoku Class). Kyūyō Shuppan, 2005. ISBN 978-4990245702.

Related items

• Aji
• Udun (Okinawa)

© 2020, Andreas Quast. All rights reserved.