View source for Oroku Ryochu

*''Born: [[1819]]''
*''Other Names'': [[馬]] 克承 ''(Ba Kokushô / C: Mǎ Kèchéng)''
*''Japanese'': [[小禄]] 良忠 ''(Oroku Ryouchuu)''

Oroku Ryôchû, also known by his [[Ryukyuan names|Chinese-style name]] Ba Kokushô, was a Ryukyuan aristocrat-official, known both as the most popular<ref>Sakihara, 63.</ref> ''[[gakudoji|gakudôji]]'' in the history of the [[Ryukyuan embassies to Edo]], and, later as father-in-law to King [[Sho Tai|Shô Tai]] (r. [[1848]]-[[1872]]), and a member of the [[Sanshikan]] ("Council of Three").

Ryôchû was the eldest son of [[Oroku Ryokyo|Oroku Ryôkyô]]<!--小禄良恭-->, a member of the Sanshikan under King [[Sho Iku|Shô Iku]] (r. [[1835]]-[[1847]]). In [[1832]], while holding the court rank or title of ''[[satunushi]]'', Ryôchû served as a ''gakudôji'' (singer/dancer) in that year's embassy to [[Edo]]. Japanese popularly published guides to, or records of, that mission, published at the time, such as the ''Ryûkyûjin gyôretsu ki'', identify him as "[a] beautiful young man, up until now and from now on,"<ref>「至而美少年ナリ」. Sakihara, 63.</ref> an indication of the attention he received at the time. One of Ryôchû's sons, known by the Chinese-style name [[Ba Shujun|Ba Shûjun]]<!--馬周詢-->, also served as a ''gakudôji'' on a later Edo mission.<ref>Liao Zhenpei 廖真珮, "Ryûkyû kyûtei ni okeru Chûgoku kei ongaku no ensô to denshô" 琉球宮廷における中国系音楽の演奏と伝承, in ''Uzagaku no fukugen ni mukete'' 御座楽の復元に向けて, Naha, Okinawa: Uzagaku fukugen ensô kenkyûkai 御座楽復元演奏研究会 (2007), 124., citing the ''[[kafu]]'' in ''Naha shishi'' 那覇市史, vol 7, 534-535, 541-542.</ref>

Ryôchû served as a dancer/performer welcoming and entertaining [[Chinese investiture envoys]] in [[1837]] as well, and was regarded as exceptionally talented at the performing arts. 

He became the father-in-law of King Shô Tai in [[1852]], and journeyed to [[Fuzhou]]. He was appointed to the Sanshikan in [[1857]], but was dismissed from that post in [[1859]], in the aftermath of the [[Makishi Chochu|Makishi]]-[[Onga Choko|Onga]] Incident. Ryôchû was imprisoned, and then sentenced to a 500-day exile at the Buddhist temple of [[Ieshima Shotai-ji|Shôtai-ji]]<!--伊江島照泰寺--> on [[Iejima]]. Though Ryôchû appears in the Ba Family (Oroku House)<!--馬姓（小禄家）--> ''[[kafu]]'' (geneology / family records), his date of death does not.

==References==
*"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-40836-storytopic-121.html Oroku Ryôchû]." ''Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia'' 沖縄コンパクト事典, Ryukyu Shimpo, 1 March 2003.
*Sakihara Ayano 崎原綾乃, "''Ryûkyû shisetsu no bunka kôryû - bungaku, geinô''" 琉球使節の文化交流～文学・芸能, in ''Ryûkyû shisetsu, Edo he iku!'' 琉球使節、江戸へ行く！, Okinawa Prefectural Museum, 2009.
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[[Category:Ryukyu]]
[[Category:Nobility]]