Sai On

Sai On (1682–1761) was a Ryukyuan scholar and senior official who served King Shō Kei and led major administrative, agricultural, and environmental reforms in the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

Hōsei: A Ryukyuan administrative and legal reform program associated with Sai On’s government service. It shows how Sai On’s reform agenda reached into the kingdom’s institutions.
Rinsei Hōyō: A political and administrative work by Sai On setting out principles for governing the Ryukyu Kingdom. It presents Sai On’s guidance for officials and the conduct of government.
Shō Kei: The Ryukyuan king who ruled from 1713 to 1752, during Sai On’s rise to senior office. Sai On’s principal period of influence unfolded under Shō Kei’s reign.
Ryukyuan historiography: The study and interpretation of the history of the Ryukyu Islands and their people. Historical accounts assess Sai On as both a statesman and an agent of social change.
Ryukyuan forestry: The management and use of forests in the Ryukyu Islands, including policies developed under Sai On. Sai On’s forestry policies treated woodland conservation as a state responsibility.
Nōsei Hikyō: A work by Sai On on agricultural policy and the improvement of farming in Ryukyu. It records his arguments for practical measures to increase agricultural productivity.
Satsuma Domain: A Japanese domain that conquered Ryukyu in 1609 and retained substantial influence over the kingdom. Satsuma’s demands shaped the fiscal and political pressures Sai On addressed.
Okinawan identity: A collective sense of identity associated with Okinawa’s history, culture, and distinct political past. Sai On’s career is part of the kingdom’s history invoked in accounts of Okinawan distinctiveness.
Ryukyuan agriculture: The cultivation of crops and management of farmland in the Ryukyu Islands. His agricultural reforms sought to raise production and strengthen the kingdom’s economy.
Sansen Kan’yō: A work by Sai On on forest and mountain management in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It sets out the environmental reasoning behind his woodland policies.

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Shō TaiCompared with: His earlier statecraft provides a contrast with the diminished authority available to Shō Tai.