Sai On

Sai On was a great leader.

He lived a long time ago. He studied in China. He learned many new things.

He helped the king. He also helped the people. He made new rules for farms. He helped them grow more food.

He worked to save the land. He planted many trees. He helped stop the soil from washing away.

Some people even call trees after him today. He was a very important man.

Sai On was a famous leader in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

He was born in a village called Kumemura. This place was a center for learning. His father was a scholar too. Sai On studied in China when he was 27. He learned about money and maps there.

Later, he became a top advisor to King Shō Kei. He helped lead the government. Sai On made many big changes. He helped farmers grow more food. He made rules for new farms and water systems. He also helped people who made things by hand. In 1734, the government stopped taxing these workers. This helped them make more goods.

Sai On also worked to save the forests. The land was losing soil due to rain and storms. He helped plant trees to stop this. Today, some trees are still called "Sai On pines." He even wrote books to help officials. One book gave advice to travelers.

Some people in the government did not like his ideas. They thought he liked China too much. In 1734, a group of rivals was arrested. They were put to death. Sai On retired in 1752. He lived until he was 79 years old.

Sai On was a very important leader in the Ryukyu Kingdom.

He was a scholar and an official who helped run the government. He served as an advisor and a teacher to King Shō Kei. People in Okinawa still remember him today because he changed many things for the better. He was born in a place called Kumemura. This village was near the port city of Naha. It was a special place for learning about Chinese ideas.

Sai On spent a long time studying hard. His father was also a scholar who wrote a history book. In 1724, Sai On edited a book called Chūzan Seifu. This was a rewrite of an older history book. When he was 27 years old, he traveled to Guangzhou in China. There, he studied many new things. He learned about maps, money, and how to run a country. These lessons helped him lead his own kingdom later.

After his trip, Sai On gained a lot of power. He became a teacher for the Crown Prince. In 1713, the prince became King Shō Kei. Sai On then helped lead a mission to China in 1716. By 1728, he joined the Sanshikan. This was a group of three top royal advisors. He was not a royal himself. Even so, he had a lot of authority to make big changes.

Sai On worked to make the kingdom stronger and richer. He helped farmers grow more food on new land. He built systems for water and worked to stop floods. He also helped protect the forests. The islands had many storms and heavy rain. This caused the soil to wash away. Sai On helped plant trees to stop this. Some trees are even called "Sai On pines" today.

His work changed how people lived and worked. He made rules to help farmers focus on crops. He also helped people who made things by hand. In 1734, the government stopped taxing these workers. This helped more people become skilled makers. Some leaders in the government did not like his ideas. They thought he was too close to China. In 1734, a group of rivals was arrested and put to death. Sai On retired in 1752. He lived until he was 79 years old in 1761.

Sai On (1682–1762) was a highly influential scholar-bureaucrat in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He served as a regent, instructor, and advisor to King Shō Kei. Because of his many leadership roles, he is one of the most famous figures in Okinawan history. He was born in Kumemura, a village in the port city of Naha. This village was a major center for classical Chinese learning. Most scholar-bureaucrats in the kingdom were raised there to serve the government.

Sai On grew up in a family dedicated to scholarship. His father was a scholar-bureaucrat who served on tribute missions to China. In 1701, his father wrote the *Chūzan Seifu*. This was a rewrite of an older history called the *Chūzan Seikan*. While the older book used Japanese Kanbun, the new version used Classical Chinese. In 1724, Sai On edited the *Chūzan Seifu*. Historians believe he did this to provide a more pro-Chinese perspective for the kingdom.

Education played a vital role in Sai On's rise to power. At age 27, he traveled to Guangzhou, China. There, he studied geography, economics, and political administration. He also studied traditional Chinese classics. When he returned, he became an instructor to the Crown Prince. In 1713, the prince became King Shō Kei. Sai On then led an important investiture mission to China in 1716. By 1728, he joined the Sanshikan, which was the Council of Three chief royal advisors.

Although Sai On was not a member of the royal family, he held immense authority. He could not hold the title of *Sessei*, or prime minister, because of his birth. However, government reorganizations gave him extensive power to implement reforms. He focused heavily on land and agriculture to strengthen the kingdom. He oversaw the reclamation of new land for farming. He also managed irrigation, flood control, and the establishment of new settlements. These projects helped the kingdom produce more food than ever before.

Sai On also implemented strict economic rules to organize society. He placed limits on farmers moving to cities. He also limited the amount of craft work, like metalworking, that farmers could do. This forced farmers to focus on intensive agricultural production. Meanwhile, artisans focused on the twin cities of Naha and Shuri. To help the economy, the government began giving rice stipends to the *anji*, or hereditary lords, in 1723. This tied the lords closer to the central government. In 1734, the government even eliminated taxes for urban artisans to encourage more craft production.

One of his most lasting legacies involves environmental conservation. The islands faced serious issues with deforestation and heavy rainy seasons. Typhoons often caused erosion and landslides. Sai On guided major forestry and soil conservation efforts to fight these problems. His essays on forestry were so highly valued that they were published by the United States Civil Administration in 1952. Even today, certain trees and forest sections are still called "Sai On pines."

Despite his successes, Sai On faced political opposition. In 1734, a rival faction rose up against him. Leaders like Heshikiya Chōbin and Tomoyose Anjō accused him of being too pro-Chinese. Before they could carry out their plots, Chōbin and fourteen others were arrested and put to death. Sai On continued his work for many years. He retired from his ministerial post in 1752, following the death of King Shō Kei. He remained an influential figure until he died at the age of 79 in 1761.

Sai On's life shows how scholarship and administration shaped the Ryūkyū Kingdom. He wrote several important documents to guide the state. One was the *Yomui-kan*, a handbook for provincial officials. He also wrote *Ryokōnin Kokoroe*, or "Travelers' Advice." This was a guide for Okinawans traveling to China. It helped them navigate the complex relationship between Okinawa and Japan's Satsuma Domain. His work helped define the political and economic structure of his era.