<류큐오라이(琉球往來)> 하권의 내용과 성격 －상권과의 비교를 중심으로－

초록

This study examines the composition and characteristics of the second volume of Ryūkyū Ōrai (琉球往來), compiled by the Buddhist monk Taichū Shōnin (袋中上人), and explores its educational significance. Although Ryūkyū Ōrai adopts the structure of oraimono (往來物)－a traditional Japanese epistolary textbook format－its content encompasses a wide range of knowledge, including Ryūkyū’s institutional systems, administrative practices, religion, and trade. Notably, the second volume (Letters 16-28) differs from the first volume in that it focuses on practical knowledge necessary for administration and social governance rather than on formal or ceremonial correspondence. This paper analyzes sections 16 and 17, which concern Buddhist traditions; sections 22 and 23, which address taxation and material accounting; and section 26, which contains information on measurement systems, land division, construction practices, medicine, and pharmacology. Sections 16 and 17 demonstrate that Ryukyuan Buddhism was understood within the broader currents of East Asian Buddhism, drawing on both Chan (Zen) and Esoteric lineages. Sections 22 and 23 reveal the structure of administrative ledgers used for collecting and aggregating goods. Section 26 presents diverse practical knowledge－including metrology, land organization, building materials, illnesses, and medicinal substances－illustrating the breadth of competencies expected of Ryukyuan officials. Taken together, the second volume of Ryūkyū orai is far more than a mere collection of model letters. It clearly functioned as a training text designed to equip members of the Ryukyuan elite with administrative knowledge and practical skills. By adopting the orai-mono format while embedding within it the information necessary for governing the Ryukyu Kingdom, the text served as an educational resource tailored to the specific realities of Ryukyuan society.

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