Gihon (Ryukyu)

Gihon (義本) (traditional dates: 1204–1260) was a legendary local ruler of Okinawa Island.

Gihon was the third and last of Shunten's lineage. He succeeded his father Shunbajunki at the age of 44, in 1248.

Gihon's reign was marked by terrible disasters, including famine, epidemics, and devastating typhoons. Around 1254, he appointed a young lord by the name of Eiso to be Regent (Sessei), and to aid in managing these disasters. When Gihon abdicated in 1259 or 1260, he "withdrew into the forest alone."[1] Eiso succeeded him as "king" and began a new royal lineage. The precise location, date, and circumstances of Gihon's death are unknown, though it is safe to assume he died shortly after his abdication. Local legends allege that he was last seen at the cliffs of Hedo Point, the northernmost point on Okinawa Island.

Notes
  1. Kerr, p51.

References
  • Kerr, George H. (1965). Okinawa, the History of an Island People. Rutland, Vermont: C.E. Tuttle Co. OCLC 39242121
  • Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2002). Japan Encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5; OCLC 48943301
  • Shinzato, Keiji, et al. Okinawa-ken no rekishi (History of Okinawa Prefecture). Tokyo: Yamakawa Publishing, 1996. p38.
Preceded by
Shunbajunki		 Chief of Chūzan
1248–1259 (traditional dates)		 Succeeded by
Eiso


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