英語訳
○The Beginning of Travel to Japan
According to the "Ryukyu Jiryaku," in the seventh month of Hōtoku 3 of Emperor Go-Hanazono's reign, Ryukyuans came and presented 1,000 kan of coins and local products to Shogun Yoshimasa. From this time, people from that country came to Hyōgo-no-ura to trade. Considering the timing, this was when King Shō Kinpuku, the fifteenth [king], was on the throne. After four reigns spanning the eras of Go-Hanazono, Go-Tsuchimikado, Go-Kashiwabara, and Go-Nara—a period of 123 years—in the eleventh year of Genki under Emperor Ōgimachi, Ryukyuans came and presented local products.
Since Satsuma Province was a neighboring domain, they maintained deep friendship, naming their vessels "Aya-bune" and sending gifts annually. However, during the Keichō era, a sanshikan (councilor) of that country named Jana conspired with the Ming Dynasty to persuade the king to cease travel to Japan. Therefore, the lord of Satsuma, Shimazu Mutsu-no-kami Iehisa, sent an envoy to investigate the reason. When Jana behaved with various discourtesies toward the envoy, Iehisa became greatly enraged. In the same thirteenth year, he went to Sunpu, had an audience with the Divine Ruler (Tokugawa Ieyasu), and requested permission to send troops for punitive action. The Divine Ruler commanded that it should be left to Iehisa's discretion, so in February of the following year, he dispatched several hundred warships for attack. The warriors distinguished themselves in battle and stormed into Shuri in April of the same year, capturing King Shō Nei and returning in triumph. King Shō Nei remained in Japan for three years, repenting his errors and apologizing for his crimes, before finally being allowed to return to his homeland. This was in Keichō 16. At this time, the Divine Ruler granted Ryukyu to Iehisa as a tributary domain, making it a permanently attached country, and their service as vassals became highly respected. Since then, when there is a change of shogun, the shogun's commands are transmitted through the lord of Satsuma, after which [the Ryukyu king] succeeds to the throne and later sends envoys of gratitude. Since that country lies between China and Japan, when succeeding to the throne, they also receive investiture from the Qing. However, since China is far and Japan is near, without Japanese assistance they cannot even manage daily expenses. Therefore, the people of that country call [Japan] "Ōmato" (Yamato) and greatly revere Japan.
○This year's visiting mission: Chief envoy Prince Tamagawa, Vice envoy Nomura oyakata, attendant officials including Councillor Gaja oyakata, Music Master Ishadō, Secretary Inoba, Ceremony Master Takamine, five musicians (Fukuyama, Kuniyoshi, Kōchi, Sonan, Meikō), six musical pages (Shinjō satonokoshi Koroku, Yonabaru, Ujihara, Adaniya, Matsudō), five chief envoy assistants (Hokama oyakata Masakina, Sakiyama, Kokuba, Ueshiro), two vice envoy assistants (Sedaka oyakata Kin), eight chief envoy attendants (Tokuchi oyakata Gima, Sueyoshi, Uema, Henza, Tokashiki, Maeshiro, Chinen), councillor attendant Nakamura oyakata, two chief envoy pages (Ganaha satonokoshi Kabira), music master attendant (Ijū satonokoshi), chief envoy staff (Uezu oyakata Kisha, Meikō oyakata-nai Ōta satonokoshi), vice envoy staff (Shukumine satonokoshi), councillor staff (Kawakami chikudunchi), accompanying Ryukyuans (Aragaki chikudunchi), chief envoy staff (Yakabi chikudunchi Tokunaga-shi), vice envoy staff (Nakaoji-shi Sakumoto-shi), ceremony master staff (Itonokazu-shi Koroku satonokoshi-nai Nagahama chikudunchi), traveling musicians (Kinjo chikudunchi Miyagi chikudunchi Kamiya, Madanbashi, Sesoko, Taira, Ōshiro-niya Tamaki, Nakamura-nyū, Aragaki, Ōshiro, Chinen, Kyan, Higa, Aragaki, Miyagi, Ōshiro Kobashikawa, Higa, Aragaki, Aragaki, Taira, Ōshiro, Chinen, Miyagi, Kinjo, Matayoshi, Gushi, Uehara, Tokumura, Kuniyoshi, Chinen, Ishihara-niya Shiroma, Aragaki, Nakamura, Higa, Chinen, Tamaki, Oyakawa, Maeshiro, Futenma, Tamaki, Kinjo, Tsukayama, Higa, Kinjo, Ōshiro, Tomita, Matayoshi, Kohatsu). The total number is ninety-nine people.
○They departed from Kagoshima in Satsuma, boarded ships at Gunmizaki in the same province, sailed around the Genkai Sea, entered the Seto Inland Sea from Kokura, went up the river at Osaka, landed at Fushimi, and came via the Mino Road and Tōkaidō. They were granted official post horses.