The Works of Sai On 蔡温 (1682-1761) in English Translation

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, I did extensive research on Sai On, the most influential figure in Ryukyuan politics and thought during the eighteenth century. In the course of that research, a banged out tentative translations of most of his extant essays. Although I no longer pursue this research, I plan gradually to revise these translations and place them here as a resource for those interested in Ryukyuan history. The current Sai On zenshū 蔡温全集 (Collected works of Sai On), edited by Sakihama Shūmei, is inaccurate and incomplete (several of Sai On's essays have been found since its publication). We need a new collected works, accurately transcribed and well annotated.

For an analysis of Sai On's policies and thought in the context of eighteenth-century Ryukyu, see my book, Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics.

Works in Japanese sōrōbun:

1. Jijoden 自叙伝 (original title: Sai-uji Gushichan ueekata Bunjaku anbun 蔡氏具志頭親方文若案文)--Sai On's autobiography.

2. Hitori monogatari 独物語--One Man's Views. In many respects this work is an extension of the autobiography.

3. Go-kyōjō 御教条--Articles of Instruction. Perhaps Sai On's most famous work, it is a set of general guidelines issued by the Council of Three (Sanshikan).

4. Heiji kanai monogatari 平時家内物語--Managing the rural household in ordinary times. This piece is a set of injunctions/instructions on household management that goes into considerable detail about farming techniques.

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Works in classical Chinese:

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