The family of Sho Hashi, the founder of the Ryukyu Kingdom, grew up based in Sashiki, southern Okinawa main island, but it is said that the starting point of the lineage is Iheyajima, the northernmost island of Okinawa. This is presented as an important background explaining the legitimacy and authority of the dynasty.
According to records, the family of Shohashi’s father, Shoshisho (尚思紹), was originally rooted in Iheyajima. When Shohashi’s grandfather moved from this island to Sashiki, the family’s base expanded, and it later developed into a dynasty that unified the three mountains. Because of this origin, Iheyajima was recognized as the ‘ancestral land’ of the First Sho Dynasty.
This island was not just a place of origin, but was considered a symbolic space of royal lineage, and functioned as a place to remember the origins of the family.
Iheyajima was managed as Iheya Magiri (伊平屋間切) under Magiri (間切), the administrative district system during the kingdom era. The region is also recorded in the ‘General Map of Ryukyu Country’ produced in the late 18th century. This is mentioned as data showing that it maintained a certain status as a region related to the royal family.
Additionally, the literature explains that traces of a sanctuary (utaki) or residence related to the Shohashi family are passed down on the island. Although no specific large-scale buildings are mentioned, it is recorded that it had symbolic meaning as a place to commemorate the origins of the dynasty.
It is said that events and traditions commemorating Shohashi’s achievements and family origins continue on Iheyajima. This serves as an element that gives island residents a sense of historical pride.
The royal song collection “Omorosaushi (おもろさうし)” contains songs that sing of the prosperity of the king and kingdom, and narratives related to the northern islands are also interpreted in a cultural context. These records show that Iheyajima was understood not as a simple geographical space but as a symbolic base for the royal lineage.
In 1469, the first Sho dynasty was replaced by Kanemaru (later King Shoen, 尚円王). What is interesting is that the founder of the 2nd Sho Dynasty is also said to have come from Izena Island (伊是名島) near Iheya Island.
As a result, Iheya Island and the Izena Island area were connected to the birthplace of the two dynasties, and were recognized as the symbolic center of the Ryukyu royal lineage. Although the Iheyajima site was not directly included in the World Heritage List of ‘Gusuku and Related Heritage Groups of the Ryukyu Kingdom’ in 2000, it is being rediscovered as a historical space to explore the origins of the dynasty.
Iheyajima is said to be the origin of the Shohashi family, and served as a symbolic space to explain the legitimacy of the first Sho clan dynasty. In addition, the founder of the 2nd Sho Dynasty was also recorded as being from a nearby island, making this area a geographical background showing the continuity of the Ryukyu royal lineage.
Records like these show that the Ryukyu Kingdom went beyond a simple political community and attempted to strengthen its ruling legitimacy through lineage and origin. Iheyajima is a historical space that provides an important clue to understanding the spiritual roots of the kingdom.
date: 2026-02-15 00:20:00
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