大島筆記 乾 / Ōshima Notes, vol. 1

On the book cover, there is a title of "Ōshima hikki ken", but this book is a manuscript of the 1st volume of Ōshima hikki written by Tobe Yoshihiro. It is unknown when this manuscript was made. In 1762, there was an accident that a ship from Ryukyu to Satsuma was flown to Kashiwa Island of Tosa domain because of a gale, and the ship was brought to Ōshima of Sukumo from Kashiwa Island. Tobe Yoshihiro who was a scholar of Confucianism of Tosa domain interviewed Shiohira Seisei and the other envoys about the politics and the culture of Shuri Ōfu at that time. Ōshima hikki is a record of the interview. It is composed of 2 volumes and 1 appendix. This book is the 1st volume of Ōshima hikki. In the 1st volume, it contains the name list of 52 men carried by the gale, the situation of the shipwreck and the career of each person. And then, it describes that a government of Ryukyu, personality, customs and manners, annual events and festivals, government officials and ranks, official clothes, place names, local products, Ryukyuan language and etc.. The 2nd volume of this book is HW729(2), Ōshima hikki kon. There are ownership stamps of "Hawley bunko" and "Yamadashi tosho". The former is a stamp of Frank Hawley, and the latter's owner is unknown. (Updated on November 4, 2022)