also: さっぽうし
accredited Chinese envoy to neighboring kingdoms
Historical term for an envoy sent by the Chinese emperor to invest kings of tributary states such as Ryukyu. Used in East Asian diplomatic history contexts.
The accredited Chinese envoy dispatched to the Ryukyu Kingdom was responsible for conveying the authority of the Chinese emperor.
Standard kanji form; the reading さくほうし is the most common modern reading.
Alternate historical reading; less common than さくほうし.
From Chinese 冊封使 (cèfēngshǐ), literally 'investiture envoy'. The term is composed of 冊封 (sakuhō, 'imperial investiture') and 使 (shi, 'envoy').