Shō Tai
| Shō Tai 尚泰 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marquise | |||||||||
King Shō Tai | |||||||||
| King of Ryūkyū | |||||||||
| Reign | 8 June 1848 – 10 October 1872 | ||||||||
| Investiture | 1866 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Shō Iku | ||||||||
| Successor | Himself as Domain King | ||||||||
| Regent | Nakijin Chōfu (1875–79) | ||||||||
| Domain King of Ryukyu | |||||||||
| Reign | 10 October 1872 – 27 March 1879 | ||||||||
| Predecessor | Himself as King of Ryukyu | ||||||||
| Successor | None (Annexation of Ryukyu Domain) | ||||||||
| Member of the House of Peers | |||||||||
| In office | 29 November 1890 – 19 August 1901 | ||||||||
| Monarch | Emperor Meiji | ||||||||
| Successor | Shō Ten | ||||||||
| Born | Umijirugani (思次良金) 3 August 1843 Shuri, Ryukyu Kingdom | ||||||||
| Died | 19 August 1901 (aged 58) Tokyo, Empire of Japan | ||||||||
| Burial | |||||||||
| Spouse | Omomatsurugane (Okinawan: Umumachirugani), Sashiki Aji-ganashi | ||||||||
| Concubine | See list
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| Issue | See list
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| Okinawan pronunciation | Shō Tē (尚泰) | ||||||||
| Yamato name | Chōken (朝憲) | ||||||||
| House | Second Shō dynasty | ||||||||
| Father | Shō Iku | ||||||||
| Mother | Gentei, Sashiki Aji-ganashi | ||||||||
Shō Tai (尚 泰; 3 August 1843 – 19 August 1901) was the final King of Ryukyu, initially as hereditary king of the Qing tributary Ryukyu Kingdom from 8 June 1848 until 10 October 1872 and finally as the Japanese appointed Domain King by Emperor Meiji, ultimately leading to his deposition and relocation to Tokyo by the Meiji Government on 11 March 1879.
In May 1885, in compensation, he was made a Kōshaku (侯爵, marquess), the second tier of nobility in the kazoku peerage system. This entitled him to a hereditary seat in the House of Peers as well as a stipend from the government.
Overall, his reign saw the eradication of the dual-loyalty system of the supposedly independent Ryukyuan kingdom in favour of the Japanese rather than that of the Qing dynasty or the Satsuma Domain specifically, and the annexation of Ryukyu into Okinawa Prefecture. His time as sovereign featured greatly increased interactions with travelers from abroad, particularly from Europe and the United States.
The descendants of Shō continue to press their claim as the legitimate rulers of Okinawa.