Satto

Satto ( ) was a 14th-century king of the Okinawan kingdom of Chūzan. In the traditional histories of the Ryukyu Kingdom, he is described as the successor to King Seii, and as a virtuous ruler who later became decadent. He was born to peasant farmers near Urasoe, but was able to purchase iron agricultural tools from Japanese traders, which he distributed among the peasantry; as a result, he became acclaimed by the people and allowed agriculture to flourish.

The first Okinawan ruler mentioned in Chinese sources, Satto accepted tributary status to Ming China, for which he was given lucrative trade license and declared the King of Ryukyu. Satto likely controlled only a small portion of central Okinawa, including his capitals of Urasoe and Shuri, and the main port of Naha. He established the temple of Gokoku-ji and may have begun construction on Shuri Castle. Historian Gregory Smits theorizes that he may have originated in Korea, due to political connections to Joseon and a name seemingly derived from a Korean term for a local official, . His purported son Bunei took the throne after his death and was later overthrown by the First Shō dynasty.