Eiso (king)

Eiso (Japanese: 英祖, 1229 – 1299) was a semi-legendary king of Okinawa who reigned from 1260 to 1299. Described in the official histories of the later Ryukyu Kingdom as a descendant of the mythical Tenson dynasty, he was said to have had a miraculous birth and to have had great wisdom and virtue from infancy. After disease and famine struck the kingdom, king Gihon appointed him as a regent. Prosperity returned, and Gihon purportedly resigned the throne to him and disappeared into hiding. He is traditionally credited with sponsoring the construction of the first Buddhist temple in Okinawa, Gokuraku-ji, establishing Okinawan rule over Amami Ōshima, rejecting the suzerainty of the Yuan dynasty, and overseeing the construction of his tomb, Urasoe yōdore.

Eiso is not attested in any contemporary accounts, although he is the earliest ruler mentioned in the Omoro Sōshi, a set of chants and songs compiled during the 16th century. He is mentioned by later Ryukyuan histories and monuments. Despite the traditional claims that he ruled over all of Okinawa, modern historians generally describe him as a local ruler around Urasoe. He is said to have ruled from Urasoe Castle, but the surviving construction postdates his reign. However, the Urasoe yōdore may be contemporary with his rule.