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Ryukyu Kingdom Trade Ships

Type Object Region Ryukyu Time c. 1429–1879

Large sailing fleets operated by the Ryukyu Kingdom under the Ming investiture system, carrying tribute trade to Ming China, transshipping Southeast …

Timeline

  1. 1421–1436Shuri (capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom) · RyukyuAfter Shō Hashi unified the Three Mountains, he reorganized shipwrights and built large ocean-going sailing ships, regularly sending envoys to the Ming court for tribute and conducting kangō trade, with Naha Port becoming the fleet's assembly and departure hub.
  2. c. 1500–1600Naha Port · RyukyuThe trade fleet profited by transshipping Chinese porcelain and silk alongside Southeast Asian spices and sulfur, with routes extending to Fujian, Zhejiang, and Southeast Asian ports, forming Ryukyu's distinctive transshipment trade network.
  3. 1609–1879Ryukyu Islands · Ryukyu IslandsAfter the Satsuma domain's invasion in 1609 it took control of Ryukyu's foreign trade; the Ming maritime ban and shifting East Asian politics gradually shrank the traditional tribute trade fleets, ending completely after the abolition of domains and establishment of prefectures.

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