Most conspicuous of all the exhibits in the General Display Hall is this large scale model of a “shinkosen” vessel. These trade ships set off from the port of Naha once every two years to deliver tributary gifts to the Chinese empire by way of Fujian Province. The ship’s actual length clocks in at around thirty meters; around ten times the size of this model, and it’s said that it was capable of carrying 100 people per trip.
By the way, did you notice the strange flag dangling from the sails?
That is a red centipede pitter-pattering across a yellow background. Centipede flags were believed to encourage safe voyages and act as wards against evil spirits. There are many theories as to why it displays a centipede, but according to Okinawan folklore, a centipede once crawled inside the ear of a dragon god that was causing storms in the ocean. It was so painful that the god decided henceforth to never descend into the human world again.
Other than centipedes, these flags were also emblazoned with the Big Dipper constellation, three-legged Yatagarasu crows, the eyes of nimble falcons, and legendary commanders from Luo Guanzhong’s “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” The story behind these symbols is likely related to the fact that early-period shinkosen vessels were actually repurposed from second-hand Chinese ships. At any rate, the shinkosen were decked out in lucky charms.
However, no matter how many talismans the shinkosen carried, their journeys to the Empire invited danger. Yet despite this, the Ryukyu Kingdom’s shinkosen made the most trips to China out of any Asian country, thanks to their long-standing tributary relationship with the Empire. Tributes included specially-bred horses, sulfur, shellfish, as well as other goods produced in Japan and Southeast Asia. As a thriving crossroads for traders from many different nations, commerce formed the basis for the Ryukyu Kingdom’s wealth.