A portrait of the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom called ``Ogoe'', which went missing during the chaos of the Battle of Okinawa at the end of the Pacific War, was found in the United States and handed over to Okinawa Prefecture.
The prefecture hopes that this will provide important clues in research into the art history and cultural history of Ryukyu and Okinawa.
A total of 22 items were found, including a portrait of the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a map, and an incense burner.
According to Okinawa Prefecture, it
contains two portraits of
the 13th King Shokei and
the 18th King Shōiku , whose whereabouts were lost during the chaos of the Battle of Okinawa at the end of the Pacific War.
Both of them are 1 meter and 60 centimeters square, and are believed to have been painted during the Ryukyu Kingdom period, with the 13th King Sho Kei in 1817 and the 18th King Sho Iku in 1852.
In 2001, the prefecture requested the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) in the United States to investigate cultural properties believed to have been leaked outside Japan, but in March 2023, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that 22 items had been discovered in the United States. The body was handed over to the prefecture on the 14th.
No portrait of the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom has been confirmed to exist in Japan, and the prefecture hopes that it will provide important clues in research into the art and cultural history of Ryukyu and Okinawa.
In the future, we will conduct a detailed investigation to prepare for restoration, and will consider whether to open it to the public based on the extent of the damage.
Governor Tamaki said, ``It's a great joy that this treasure of Okinawa, where you can experience the Ryukyu Kingdom era, has returned.''