Shō En

Shō En, also known as Kanemaru (金丸), was king of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1470 to 1476. The official histories of the kingdom place his birth on Izena Island, although nothing is known concretely about his origins or family. Later folk tradition in the kingdom traced him to the mythical Shunten dynasty. He is said to have settled in northern Okinawa around the 1440s after a water dispute on his home island, eventually settling in Shuri and serving as a retainer for Shō Taikyū, the Prince of Goeku. Taikyū became king in 1454 and appointed Kanemaru as his treasurer, granting him lordship over Uchima. Shō Toku succeeded his father after his death in 1460. The official histories depict Toku as a cruel ruler who forced Kanemaru into seclusion. Kanemaru was chosen to succeed him after Toku's death in 1470, after which he killed Toku's surviving family and took the regnal name Shō En.