Tei Junsoku (程順則) (1663–1734), or Cheng Shunze in Chinese,[1] was a Confucian scholar and government official of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He has been described as being "in an unofficial sense... the 'minister of education'",[2] and is particularly famous for his contributions to scholarship and education in Okinawa and Japan. Holding ueekata rank in the Ryukyuan government, he served at times in his career as magistrate of both Nago and Kumemura, and as a member of the Sanshikan, the elite council of three chief advisors to the king. He is sometimes known as the "Sage of Nago[3]" (名護聖人[4]).
It was standard at the time for members of Ryūkyū's aristocratic class to have two names. "Tei Junsoku" was his Chinese-style name, while "Nago Ueekata Chōbun" (名護 親方 寵文), incorporating his domain and rank, was his Yamato or Japanese-style name.
- ^ Steben, Barry D. (1998). "The Transmission of Neo-Confucianism to the Ryukyu (Liuqiu) Islands and Its Historical Significance" (PDF). Sino-Japanese Studies. 11 (1). OCLC 695209537.
- ^ Kerr, George H. Okinawa: The History of an Island People. revised ed. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. p204.
- ^ Kerr. p201.
- ^ "Tei Junsoku." Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p50.