From Iri-no-azana you can see the port of Naha, where voyages paying tribute to China would depart from. In addition to delivering tributes to the emperor of China, they would also conduct trade as well. The Ryukyu Kingdom played an integral part of and benefited greatly from the trade in East Asia, due to its strategically central geographic location in relation to countries such as Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The dispatch of tribute voyages continued even after the Ryukyu Kingdom came under the Satsuma Regime. This was when they compiled a list of questions and answers about the Ryukyu Kingdom, called “Ryokō Kokoroeno Jōjō.” When the voyagers would visit China, they would act as representatives of their kingdom, so the list of frequently asked questions served to help them answer any questions they might expect. Even though the Ryukyu Kingdom was under control of Sakoku-era Japan, that didn’t stop the Ryukyu Kingdom from interacting with many different countries and cultures.
The relationship the Ryukyu Kingdom had with China greatly benefited their position in the trading world of East Asia. They could gather invaluable information through their interactions with other nations while in China; something that isolationist Japan was severely lacking at the time. One ledger remaining from the era confirms their networking power, detailing meetings between Ryukyuan, Chinese and Japanese delegations. Ryukyu officials capitalized on their strengths and, though small, became a highly independent nation of its own with the power of internationality and connection. It’s well known that knowledge is power, and that is what Ryukyu had.
