Shō Hashi Shō Hashi ( 尚巴志 ) ( 1371 – 1439 , r . 1422 – 1439 ) was the first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom ( today Okinawa Prefecture , Japan ) , uniting the three kingdoms of Chūzan , Hokuzan , and Nanzan by conquest . His name as rendered in Japanese is " Shō Hashi " ; in Chinese , he is known as Shang Bazhi . Biography . As lord ( " aji " ) of Soshiki Mairi , he was seen as an able , well - liked administrator within his own lands , who rose in prominence at the opening of the 15th century . He led a small rebellion against the lord of Azato district in 1402 . Hashi then went on to overthrow King Bunei of Chūzan in 1404 and placed his father Shō Shishō on the throne . Even with his father as King , however , Hashi held true political power , and organized envoys to Nanking , to assure China , to which the Ryūkyū kingdoms were tributaries , of his kingdom ' s continued cooperation and friendship . He also reorganized much of the administrative organs of the kingdom to better fit Chinese models . The people of Chūzan also quickly adopted many elements of Chinese culture , and came to be recognized as " civilized " , at least somewhat more so than earlier , by the Chinese . Hashi also oversaw the expansion and embellishment of Shuri Castle , and the placement of distance markers throughout the land , marking the distance to Shuri . Meanwhile , though Hokuzan , the neighboring kingdom to the north , held no advantages over Chūzan economically or in terms of political influence , Hashi viewed their capital city castle of Nakijin gusuku as a threat militarily . When that opportunity presented itself in 1419 , after three Hokuzan " aji " ( local lords ) turned to his side , Hashi led his father ' s army , and conquered Nakijin in a swift series of attacks . The king of Hokuzan , along with his closest retainers , committed suicide after a fierce resistance . A year after his father ' s death in 1421 , Hashi requested official recognition and investiture from the Chinese imperial court , and received it in due course . It may be interesting to note that , despite the nominal independence of Ryūkyū into the 19th century , this practice would continue . The court bestowed upon him the family name Shang ( " Shō " in Japanese ) , registered a new title in their annals : " Liuqiu Wang " ( 琉球王 , Jap : " Ryūkyū - Ō " , King of Ryūkyū ) , and sent Hashi ' s emissary back with a ceremonial dragon robe , and a lacquer tablet with the word " Chūzan " inscribed upon it . This Chūzan tablet was then placed on display outside Shuri Castle , where it remained until the 20th century . Thus , succeeding his father as king of Chūzan in 1422 , and appointing his younger brother Warden of Hokuzan , he seized Shimajiri Osato , capital of Nanzan , in 1429 , from Lord Taromai . Thus uniting the island of Okinawa , he founded the Ryūkyū Kingdom and the Shō Dynasty . Up to this point , the three kingdoms had operated on a very simple feudal model . Peasants were subsistence farmers who paid taxes to their local " aji " and performed various other labors and services to him ; the " aji " in turn owed taxes and services to the head of their kingdom ( hypothetically a king , but called a prince in many English - language texts on the subject ) . Shō Hashi did not effect drastic dramatic changes upon this system , but reinforced it as part of his unification efforts ; " aji " were made to owe their allegiance to his royal government at Shuri , rather than becoming lordless rebels or the like upon the defeat and absorption of their kingdom . Hashi also oversaw a significant expansion of trade , particularly with China , and organized envoys to other Asian countries as well . Documents survive today chronicling a number of missions to Ayutthaya , the capital of Siam at the time , to resolve trade issues . Recognizing the importance of trade to Ryūkyū ' s continued prosperity , Shō Hashi promoted it strongly , and even ordered a bell cast and installed at Shuri Castle , upon which was inscribed " Ships are means of communication with all nations ; the country is full of rare products and precious treasures . " Through this trade , friendly diplomatic relations , and the overall organization and unity created by Shō Hashi , Ryūkyū absorbed much of the foreign influences that would come to define its culture . Some examples include the Chinese ceremonial robes worn by kings and high officials when meeting with Chinese officials , the Japanese - inspired custom of aristocratic members of society wearing two swords , and the fusion of native , Japanese , Chinese , and Southeast Asian elements of music and dance . Shō Hashi died in 1439 , at the age of sixty - eight , having united Ryūkyū and established its place as a small , but recognized , power in the region . Upon his death , the court appointed his second son , Shō Chū , his successor , and sent emissaries to the Chinese court to ask for investiture , to the Japanese Shogun in Kyoto and to the courts of a number of other kingdoms , as diplomatic missions .