108-607: The Ryukyu Islands are a volcanic arc archipelago. Ryukyu may also refer to: Ryukyu Islands The Ryukyu Islands ( 琉球列島 , Ryūkyū-rettō ) , also known as the Nansei Islands ( 南西諸島 , Nansei-shotō , lit. "Southwest Islands") or the Ryukyu Arc ( 琉球弧 , Ryūkyū-ko ) , are a chain of Japanese islands that stretch southwest from Kyushu to Taiwan : the Ryukyu Islands are divided into
216-573: A Chinese junk with Portuguese merchants on board was driven to Tanegashima. Tanegashima Tokitaka succeeded in reproducing matchlock rifles obtained from the Portuguese. Within a few decades, firearms, then known as tanegashima , were spread across Sengoku Japan . Toyotomi Hideyoshi 's reunification of Japan finalized the Tanegashima clan's status as a senior vassal of the Shimazu clan. It
324-472: A collective name for the southern islands. In the early 8th century, the northern end of the island chain was formally incorporated into the Japanese administrative system. After a rebellion was crushed, Tane Province was established around 702. Tane Province consisted of four districts and covered Tanegashima and Yakushima. Although the tiny province faced financial difficulties from the very beginning, it
432-602: A failed Satsuma invasion of Amami Ōshima in 1493, and two rebellions on Amami Ōshima during the 16th century. The islands were finally conquered by Satsuma during the 1609 Invasion of Ryukyu . The Tokugawa shogunate granted Satsuma the islands in 1624. During the Edo Period, Ryukyuans referred to Satsuma's ships as "Tokara ships". Various polities of the Okinawa Islands were unified as the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1429,
540-522: A group of Koreans were shipwrecked on Gaja Island , where they found the island half under the control of Satsuma and half under the control of Ryukyu. Gaja Island is only 80 miles from Satsuma's capital at Kagoshima City . The Koreans noted that the Ryukyuans used guns "as advanced as in [Korea]". Other records of activity in the Amami Islands show Shō Toku 's conquest of Kikai Island in 1466,
648-569: A major figure in the Beheiren movement (Foundation of Citizens for Peace in Vietnam), believed that the return of Okinawa to Japan would lead to the removal of U.S. forces, ending Japan's involvement in Vietnam. In a speech delivered in 1967, Oda was critical of Prime Minister Eisaku Satō 's unilateral support of America's war in Vietnam, claiming "Realistically we are all guilty of complicity in
756-615: A protest demonstration at sea against scheduled land reclamation work for the relocation of a U.S. military base within Japan's southernmost island prefecture. A protest gathered hundreds of people. Since the early 2000s, Okinawans have opposed the presence of American troops helipads in the Takae zone of the Yanbaru forest near Higashi and Kunigami . This opposition grew in July 2016 after
864-632: A result, the media has drawn renewed interest in the Ryukyu independence movement . Documents declassified in 1997 proved that both tactical and strategic weapons have been maintained in Okinawa. In 1999 and 2002, the Japan Times and the Okinawa Times reported speculation that not all weapons were removed from Okinawa. On October 25, 2005, after a decade of negotiations, the governments of
972-672: A separate nation until 1879, Okinawan language and culture differ in many ways from those of mainland Japan. There remain six Ryukyuan languages which, although related, are incomprehensible to speakers of Japanese . One of the Ryukyuan languages is spoken in Kagoshima Prefecture , rather than in Okinawa Prefecture. These languages are in decline as the younger generation of Okinawans uses Standard Japanese. Mainland Japanese and some Okinawans generally perceive
1080-409: A series of crimes involving American troops in Japan, including the rape of a young girl of 14 by a Marine on Okinawa. The U.S. military imposed a temporary 24-hour curfew on military personnel and their families to ease the anger of local residents. Some cited statistics that the crime rate of military personnel is consistently less than that of the general Okinawan population. However, some criticized
1188-407: A third of the barrels developed leaks have led Okinawans to ask for environmental investigations, but as of 2012 both Tokyo and Washington refused such action. Jon Mitchell has reported concern that the U.S. used American Marines as chemical-agent guinea pigs. On September 30, 2018, Denny Tamaki was elected as the next governor of Okinawa prefecture, after a campaign focused on sharply reducing
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#17327656196371296-616: A tributary state of Ming Imperial China . The kingdom conquered the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. At its peak, it also subjected the Amami Islands to its rule. In 1609, Shimazu Tadatsune , Lord of Satsuma, invaded the Ryūkyū Kingdom with a fleet of 13 junks and 2,500 samurai , thereby establishing suzerainty over the islands. They faced little opposition from the Ryukyuans, who lacked any significant military capabilities, and who were ordered by King Shō Nei to surrender rather than to suffer
1404-517: A wide area of Kyūshū in 997. In response, Dazaifu ordered "Kika Island" ( 貴駕島 , Kikashima ) to arrest the Nanban . This is the first attested use of Kikaigashima , which is often used in subsequent sources. The series of reports suggest that there were groups of people with advanced sailing technology in Amami and that Dazaifu had a stronghold on Kikai Island . In fact, historians hypothesize that
1512-554: Is a high degree of confusion in use of Ryukyu in English literature. For example, Encyclopædia Britannica equates the Ryukyu Islands with Japanese Ryūkyū-shotō or Nansei-shotō in the definition but limits its scope to the Amami, Okinawa and Sakishima (Miyako and Yaeyama) in the content. " Ryūkyū " is an exonym and is not a self-designation. The word first appeared in the Book of Sui (636). Its obscure description of Liuqiu ( 流求 )
1620-511: Is generally considered outdated in Japanese although some entities of Okinawa still bear the name, such as the local national university . FC Ryukyu is the maximum football representative of the prefecture in the Japanese football league system and has played as high as the second-tier J2 League . In Japanese, the "Ryukyu Islands" ( 琉球諸島 , Ryūkyū-shotō ) cover only the Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands, while in English it includes
1728-718: Is rather split. According to a telephone poll conducted by Lim John Chuan-tiong (林泉忠), an associate professor with the University of the Ryukyus , 40.6% of respondents identified as " 沖縄人 (Okinawan)", 21.3% identified as " 日本人 (Japanese)" and 36.5% identified as both. Okinawa prefecture age pyramid as of 1 October 2003 (per thousands of people) Okinawa Prefecture age pyramid, divided by sex, as of 1 October 2003 (per thousands of people) Per Japanese census data, Okinawa prefecture has had continuous positive population growth since 1960. Having been
1836-531: Is responsible for standardization of place names, disagrees with the Japan Coast Guard over some names and their extent, but the two are working on standardization. They agreed on February 15, 2010, to use Amami-guntō ( 奄美群島 ) for the Amami Islands; prior to that, Amami-shotō ( 奄美諸島 ) had also been used. The climate of the Ryukyu islands is sub-tropical . It is significantly warmer than
1944-405: Is the first attested use of Amami . Articles of the late 7th century give a closer look at the southern islands. In 677, the imperial court gave a banquet to people from Tane Island ( 多禰島 , Tanejima ) . In 679, the imperial court sent a mission to Tane Island. The mission carried some people from the southern islands who were described as the peoples of Tane, Yaku, and Amami ( 阿麻彌 ) in
2052-442: Is the official name for the whole island chain in Japanese. Japan has used the name on nautical charts since 1907. Based on the Japanese charts, the international chart series uses Nansei Shoto . Nansei literally means "southwest", the direction of the island chain relative to mainland Japan. Some humanities scholars prefer the uncommon term Ryūkyū-ko ( 琉球弧 , "Ryukyu Arc") for the entire island chain. In geology, however,
2160-925: Is the source of a never-ending scholarly debate about whether the name referred to Taiwan, Okinawa or both. Nevertheless, the Book of Sui shaped perceptions of Ryūkyū for a long time. Ryūkyū was considered a land of cannibals and aroused a feeling of dread among surrounding people, from Buddhist monk Enchin who traveled to Tang China in 858 to an informant of the Hyōtō Ryūkyū-koku ki who traveled to Song China in 1243. Later, some Chinese sources used "Great Ryukyu" ( Chinese : 大琉球 ; pinyin : Dà Liúqiú ) for Okinawa and "Lesser Ryukyu" ( Chinese : 小琉球 ; pinyin : Xiǎo Liúqiú ) for Taiwan. Okinawan forms of "Ryūkyū" are Ruuchuu ( ルーチュー ) or Duuchuu ( ドゥーチュー ) in Okinawan and Ruuchuu ( ルーチュー ) in
2268-589: Is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan . It has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020 ) and a geographic area of 2,281 km (880 sq mi ). Naha is the capital and largest city, with other major cities including Okinawa , Uruma , and Urasoe . Okinawa Prefecture encompasses two thirds of the Ryukyu Islands , including the Okinawa , Daitō and Sakishima groups, extending 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) southwest from
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#17327656196372376-504: The Azuma Kagami state that Ata Tadakage of Satsuma Province fled to Kikai Island ( 貴海島 , Kikaishima ) sometime around 1160. The Azuma Kagami also states that in 1188 Minamoto no Yoritomo , who soon became the shōgun , dispatched troops to pacify Kikai Island ( 貴賀井島 , Kikaishima ) . It was noted that the imperial court objected the military expedition claiming that it was beyond Japan's administration. The Tale of
2484-492: The Engishiki (927), Dazaifu was to offer when they were obtained from the southern islands. The southern islands had strategic importance for Japan because they were on one of the three major routes used by Japanese missions to Tang China (630–840). The 702 mission seems to have been the first to successfully switch from the earlier route via Korea to the southern island route. The missions of 714, 733 and 752 probably took
2592-414: The 1971 Okinawa Reversion Agreement . Today, numerous issues arise from Okinawan history. Some Ryukyuans and some Japanese feel that people from the Ryukyus are different from the majority Yamato people . Some natives of the Ryukyus claim that the central government is discriminating against the islanders by allowing so many American soldiers to be stationed on bases in Okinawa with a minimal presence on
2700-680: The Amami Islands . An extant map of Japan held by the Hōjō clan describes Amami as a "privately owned district". The Shimazu clan also claimed the rights to the Twelve. In 1227 Shōgun Kujō Yoritsune affirmed Shimazu Tadayoshi 's position as the jitō of the Twelve Islands among others. After the Kamakura shogunate was destroyed, the Shimazu clan increased its rights. In 1364, it claimed
2808-755: The First Sino-Japanese War , China officially abandoned its claims to the Ryukyus. American military control over Okinawa began in 1945 with the establishment of the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands , which in 1950 became the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands . Also in 1950, the Interim Ryukyus Advisory Council ( 臨時琉球諮詢委員会 , Rinji Ryūkyū Shijun Iinkai )
2916-800: The Imperial Chinese tributary system under the Ming dynasty beginning in the 15th century, which established economic relations between the two nations. In 1609, the Shimazu clan , which controlled the region that is now Kagoshima Prefecture , invaded the Ryukyu Kingdom . The Ryukyu Kingdom was obliged to agree to form a suzerain - vassal relationship with the Satsuma and the Tokugawa shogunate , while maintaining its previous role within
3024-833: The Invasion of Ryukyu in 1609. Okinawa was officially founded in 1879 by the Empire of Japan after seven years as the Ryukyu Domain , the last domain of the Han system . Okinawa was occupied by the United States during the Allied occupation of Japan after World War II and was governed by the Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands from 1945 to 1950 and Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from 1950 until
3132-641: The Iriomote-Ishigaki , Kerama Shotō , and Yambaru National Parks; Okinawa Kaigan and Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Parks; and Irabu , Kumejima , Tarama , and Tonaki Prefectural Natural Parks. The dugong is an endangered marine mammal related to the manatee . Iriomote is home to one of the world's rarest and most endangered cat species, the Iriomote cat . The region is also home to at least one endemic pit viper , Trimeresurus elegans . The islands of Okinawa are surrounded by some of
3240-554: The Kunigami language . An Okinawan man was recorded as having referred to himself as a "Doo Choo man" during Commodore Matthew C. Perry 's visit to the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1852. From about 1829 until the mid-20th century, the islands' English name was spelled Luchu , Loochoo , Loo-choo , or Lewchew , all pronounced / ˈ l uː tʃ uː / . These spellings were based on the Okinawan form Ruuchuu ( ルーチュー ) , as well as
3348-537: The National Diet ( 国会 ) which had been established in 1890. On 1 April 1945, the U.S. Army and Marine Corps launched an invasion of Okinawa with 185,000 troops. They were faced with fanatical resistance from the Japanese defenders. A third of Okinawa's civilian population were killed during the ensuing fighting. The dead, of all nationalities, are commemorated at the Cornerstone of Peace . After
Ryukyu (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-700: The Paleolithic era were unearthed from a site in Naha, but the artifact was lost in transportation before it was examined. Japanese Jōmon influences are dominant on the Okinawa Islands , although clay vessels on the Sakishima Islands have a commonality with those in Taiwan. The first mention of the word Ryukyu was written in the Book of Sui . Okinawa was the Japanese word identifying
3564-582: The Ryukyu Arc includes subsurface structures such as the Okinawa Trough and extends to Kyushu. During the American occupation of Amami, the Japanese government objected to the islands being included under the name "Ryukyu" in English because they worried that this might mean that the return of the Amami Islands to Japanese control would be delayed until the return of Okinawa. However, the American occupational government on Amami continued to be called
3672-589: The Satsunan Islands ( Ōsumi , Tokara and Amami ) and Okinawa Prefecture ( Daitō , Miyako , Yaeyama , Senkaku , Okinawa , Sakishima Islands (further divided into the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands ), and Yonaguni as the westernmost). The larger ones are mostly volcanic islands and the smaller mostly coral . The largest is Okinawa Island . The climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) in
3780-536: The Satsunan Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture to Taiwan ( Hualien and Yilan Counties ). Okinawa Prefecture's largest island, Okinawa Island , is the home to a majority of Okinawa's population. Okinawa's indigenous ethnic group is the Ryukyuan people , who also live in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture . Okinawa was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 and unofficially annexed by Japan after
3888-550: The Southeast Botanical Gardens represent tropical plant species. The island is largely composed of coral , and rainwater filtering through that coral has given the island many caves, which played an important role in the Battle of Okinawa. Gyokusendo is an extensive limestone cave in the southern part of Okinawa's main island. The island experiences temperatures above 20 °C (68 °F) for most of
3996-564: The Three Non-Nuclear Principles reflected this popular opposition. Most of the weapons were alleged to be stored in ammunition bunkers at Kadena Air Base. Between 1954 and 1972, 19 different types of nuclear weapons were deployed in Okinawa, but with fewer than around 1,000 warheads at any one time. In fall 1960, U.S. commandos in Green Light Teams secret training missions carried small nuclear weapons on
4104-592: The "Country of Liuqiu" ( 流求國 ). They noted that the people were small but pugnacious. The Chinese could not understand the local language and returned to China. In 607, they sent another expedition to trade and brought back one of the islanders. A Japanese embassy was in Luoyang when the expedition returned, and one of the Japanese exclaimed that the islander wore the dress and spoke the language of Yaku Island . The island chain appeared in Japanese written history as Southern Islands ( 南島 , Nantō ) . The first record of
4212-468: The "Keystone of the Pacific". This slogan was imprinted on local U.S. military license plates. In 1969, chemicals leaked from the U.S. storage depot at Chibana in central Okinawa, under Operation Red Hat . Evacuations of residents took place over a wide area for two months. Even two years later, government investigators found that Okinawans and the environment near the leak were still suffering because of
4320-628: The "Provisional Government for the Northern Ryukyu Islands" in English, though it was translated as Rinji Hokubu Nansei-shotō Seichō ( 臨時北部南西諸島政庁 , Provisional Government for the Northern Nansei Islands) in Japanese. The name of Ryūkyū ( 琉球 ) is strongly associated with the Ryukyu Kingdom , a kingdom that originated from the Okinawa Islands and subjugated the Sakishima and Amami Islands. The name
4428-554: The "eighteen islands" of Kawanabe District. In the same year, the clan's head Shimazu Sadahisa gave his son Morohisa properties in Satsuma Province including the Twelve Islands and the "extra five" islands. The latter must be the Amami Islands. The Tanegashima clan came to rule Tanegashima on behalf of the Nagoe family but soon became autonomous. It usually allied with, sometimes submitted itself to, and sometimes antagonized
Ryukyu (disambiguation) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-531: The 12th century, Shimazu Estate expanded to a large portion of the Satsuma and Ōsumi Provinces including Tanegashima. Koremune no Tadahisa , a retainer of the Fujiwara family, was appointed as a steward of Shimazu Estate in 1185. He was then named shugo of Satsuma and Ōsumi (and later Hyūga) Provinces by first shōgun Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1197. He became the founder of the Shimazu clan . Tadahisa lost power when his powerful relative Hiki Yoshikazu
4644-471: The 1868 Meiji Restoration , the Japanese government, through military incursions, officially annexed the kingdom and renamed it Ryukyu han . At the time, the Qing dynasty asserted a nominal suzerainty over the islands. Ryukyu han became Okinawa Prefecture of Japan in 1879, even though all other hans had become prefectures of Japan in 1872. In 1912, Okinawans first obtained the right to vote for representatives to
4752-516: The Amami Islands were incorporated into a trade network that connected it to Kyūshū, Song China and Goryeo. In fact, the Shōyūki recorded that in the 1020s, local governors of southern Kyūshū presented to the author, a court aristocrat, local specialties of the southern islands including the Chinese fan palm , redwoods, and shells of Green Turban Shell . The Shinsarugakuki , a fictional work written in
4860-484: The Amami and Daitō Islands. The northern half of the island chain is referred to as the Satsunan ("South of Satsuma ") Islands in Japanese, as opposed to Northern Ryukyu Islands in English. Humanities scholars generally agree that the Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands share much cultural heritage, though they are characterized by a great degree of internal diversity as well. There is, however, no good name for
4968-497: The Amami and Okinawa Islands together because in some respects (e.g. from a linguistic point of view) Amami is closer to Okinawa than to Miyako and Yaeyama, but there is no established single-word term for the group since the native population had not felt the need for such a concept. Japanese scholars use "Amami–Okinawa" while American and European scholars use "Northern Ryukyuan". The folklorist Kunio Yanagita and his followers used Nantō ( 南島 , "Southern Islands") . This term
5076-581: The Chinese pronunciation of the characters " 琉球 ", which in Mandarin is Liúqiú . Uchinaa ( 沖縄 ) , Okinawa in Okinawan, is originally a native name for the largest island in the island chain. The island was referred to as Okinawa ( 阿児奈波 ) in the 8th century biography of Jianzhen (唐大和上東征傳). It is also specified as Okinawa ( おきなわ ) in hiragana in the collection of Umuru U Sōshi ( おもろさうし ) , known as Ryukyu's official poetry book. It
5184-472: The Chinese tributary system; Ryukyuan sovereignty was maintained since complete annexation would have created a conflict with China. The Satsuma clan earned considerable profits from trade with China during a period in which foreign trade was heavily restricted by the shogunate. Although Satsuma maintained strong influence over the islands, the Ryukyu Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years. Four years after
5292-424: The Eastern Islands, so he sent expeditions there to find the source of immortality , to no avail. Based on Ryukyuan folklore on Kudaka Island , some scholars believe that these expeditions succeeded in reaching Japan and launched a social and agricultural revolution there. The Eastern Islands are again mentioned as the land of immortals in the Annals of the Han dynasty . In 601, the Chinese sent an expedition to
5400-464: The Heike (13th century) depicted Kikai Island ( 鬼界島 , Kikaishima ) , where Shunkan , Taira no Yasuyori, and Fujiwara no Naritsune were exiled following the Shishigatani Incident of 1177. The island depicted, characterized by sulfur, is identified as Iōjima of the Ōsumi Islands , which is part of Kikai Caldera . Since China's invention of gunpowder made sulfur Japan's major export, Sulfur Island or Iōgashima became another representative of
5508-427: The Higo clan settled in Tanegashima and became the Tanegashima clan . The islands other than Tanegashima were grouped as the Twelve Islands and treated as part of Kawanabe District, Satsuma Province. The Twelve Islands were subdivided into the Near Five ( 口五島 / 端五島 , Kuchigoshima/Hajigoshima ) and the Remote Seven ( 奥七島 , Okunanashima ) . The Near Five consisted of the Ōsumi Islands except Tanegashima while
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#17327656196375616-405: The Japanese emperor's virtue. At the site of Dazaifu , the administrative center of Kyushu, two wooden tags dated in the early 8th century were unearthed in 1984, which read "Amami Island" ( 㭺美嶋 , Amamijima ) and "Iran Island" ( 伊藍嶋 , Iran no Shima ) respectively. The latter seems to correspond to Okinoerabu Island . These tags might have been attached to "red woods", which, according to
5724-431: The Japanese government established the Ryukyu han under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Ministry. In 1875, jurisdiction over the Ryukyus changed from the Foreign Ministry to the Home Ministry. In 1879, the Meiji government announced the annexation of the Ryukyus , establishing it as Okinawa Prefecture and forcing the Ryukyu king to move to Tokyo. When China signed the Treaty of Shimonoseki after its 1895 defeat in
5832-407: The Melvin Price Report, by 1955, the military had displaced 250,000 residents. Since 1960, the U.S. and Japan have maintained an agreement that allows the U.S. to secretly bring nuclear weapons into Japanese ports. The Japanese people tended to oppose the introduction of nuclear arms into Japanese territory and the Japanese government's assertion of Japan's non-nuclear policy and a statement of
5940-416: The Okinawa Prefecture: (name in brackets) These are the towns and villages in each district : (name in brackets) ( Kunigami ) Yunoon ( Yaeyama ) The indigenous Ryukyuan people make up the majority of Okinawa Prefecture's population and are also the main ethnic group of the Amami Islands to the north. Large Okinawan diaspora communities persist in places such as South America and Hawaii . With
6048-475: The Okinawan population wanted the complete closure of the U.S. bases, 42% wanted reduction, and 11% wanted to maintain status quo. Okinawan feelings about the U.S. military are complex, and some of the resentment towards the U.S. bases is directed towards the government in Tokyo , perceived as being insensitive to Okinawan needs and using Okinawa to house bases not desired elsewhere in Japan. In early 2008, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice apologized after
6156-495: The Remote Seven corresponded to the Tokara Islands. After the Jōkyū War in 1221, the jitō of Kawanabe District was assumed by the Hōjō Tokusō family. The Tokusō family let its retainer Chikama clan rule Kawanabe District. In 1306, Chikama Tokiie created a set of inheritance documents that made reference to various southern islands. The islands mentioned were not limited to the Twelve but included Amami Ōshima , Kikai Island and Tokunoshima (and possibly Okinoerabu Island ) of
6264-454: The Ryukyuan languages as "dialects". Standard Japanese is almost always used in formal situations. In informal situations, de facto everyday language among Okinawans under age 60 is Okinawa-accented mainland Japanese (" Okinawan Japanese "), which is often mistaken by non-Okinawans as the Okinawan language proper. The actual traditional Okinawan language is still used in traditional cultural activities, such as folk music and folk dance . There
6372-414: The Shimazu clan on mainland Kyūshū. The Tanegashima clan was given Yakushima and Kuchinoerabu Island by Shimazu Motohisa in 1415. In 1436, it was given the Seven Islands of Kawanabe District, Satsuma Province (the Tokara Islands) and other two islands by Shimazu Mochihisa, the head of a branch family. Tanegashima is known in Japanese history for the introduction of European firearms to Japan. Around 1543,
6480-425: The Southern Islanders to the south, as "barbarians". The imperial court brought some of them to the capital to serve the emperor. The New Book of Tang (1060) states at the end of the chapter of Japan that there were three little princes of Yaku ( 邪古 ) , Haya ( 波邪 ) , and Tane ( 多尼 ) . This statement should have been based on a report by Japanese envoys in the early 8th century who would have claimed
6588-534: The Southern Islands is an article of 618 in the Nihonshoki (720) which states that people of Yaku ( 掖玖 , 夜勾 ) followed the Chinese emperor's virtue. In 629, the imperial court dispatched an expedition to Yaku . Yaku in historical sources was not limited to modern-day Yakushima but seems to have covered a broader area of the island chain. In 657, several persons from Tokara ( 都貨邏 , possibly Dvaravati ) arrived at Kyushu, reporting that they had first drifted to Amami Island ( 海見島 , Amamijima ) , which
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#17327656196376696-527: The Tokara Strait are characterized by their coral reefs . The Ōsumi and Tokara Islands, the northernmost of the islands, fall under the cultural sphere of the Kyushu region of Japan; local inhabitants speak a variation of the Kagoshima dialect of Japanese. The Amami, Okinawa, Miyako, and Yaeyama Islands have a native population collectively called the Ryukyuan people , named for the former Ryukyu Kingdom (1429–1875) that ruled them. The varied Ryukyuan languages are traditionally spoken on these islands, and
6804-555: The U.S. and Japan officially agreed to move Marine Corps Air Station Futenma from its location in the densely populated city of Ginowan to the more northerly and remote Camp Schwab in Nago by building a heliport with a shorter runway, partly on Camp Schwab land and partly running into the sea. The move is partly an attempt to relieve tensions between the people of Okinawa and the Marine Corps. Despite Okinawa prefecture constituting only 0.6% of Japan's land surface, in 2006 75% of all USFJ bases were located on Okinawa, occupying 18% of
6912-411: The U.S. forces relocation plan but in April 2010 indicated their interest in resolving the issue by proposing a modified plan. A study done in 2010 found that the prolonged exposure to aircraft noise around the Kadena Air Base and other military bases cause health issues such as a disrupted sleep pattern, high blood pressure, weakening of the immune system in children, and a loss of hearing. In 2011, it
7020-405: The U.S. military bases, earlier viewed as paternal post war protection, were increasingly seen as aggressive. The Vietnam War highlighted the differences between United States and Okinawa but showed a commonality between the islands and mainland Japan. As controversy grew regarding the alleged placement of nuclear weapons on Okinawa, fears intensified over the escalation of the Vietnam War. Okinawa
7128-641: The U.S. military presence on the island. In 2006, some 8,000 U.S. Marines were removed from the island and relocated to Guam . The move to Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz is expected to be completed in 2023. Japan paid for a majority of the cost to construct the new base. The U.S. still maintains Air Force, Marine, Navy, and Army military installations on the islands. These bases include Kadena Air Base , Camp Foster , Marine Corps Air Station Futenma , Camp Hansen , Camp Schwab , Torii Station , Camp Kinser , and Camp Gonsalves . The area of 14 U.S. bases are 233 square kilometres (90 sq mi), occupying 18% of
7236-494: The United States after the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco concluded the Pacific War . They were returned to Japan under the 1971 Okinawa reversion agreement , with China disputing the Senkaku Islands . Administratively, the islands are divided between two prefectures : the northern islands, collectively called the Satsunan Islands , are part of Kagoshima Prefecture (specifically Kagoshima District , Kumage Subprefecture / District , and Ōshima Subprefecture / District ), while
7344-552: The Vietnam War". The Beheiren became a more visible anti-war movement on Okinawa as the American involvement in Vietnam intensified. The movement employed tactics ranging from demonstrations to handing leaflets to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines directly, warning of the implications for a third World War. The U.S. military bases on Okinawa became a focal point for anti-Vietnam War sentiment. By 1969, over 50,000 American military personnel were stationed on Okinawa. United States Department of Defense began referring to Okinawa as
7452-518: The [south] and Sanbok in the [north]. Nawa, the chief port of Tsju San, is open to foreign commerce. The islands enjoy a magnificent climate and are highly cultivated and very productive. Among the productions are tea, rice, sugar, tobacco, camphor, fruits, and silk. The principal manufactures are cotton, paper, porcelain, and lacquered ware. The people, who are small, seem a link between the Chinese and Japanese. Okinawa Prefecture Okinawa Prefecture ( Japanese : 沖縄県 , Hepburn : Okinawa-ken )
7560-406: The article of 682. According to the Shoku Nihongi (797), the imperial court dispatched armed officers in 698 to explore the southern islands. As a result, people of Tane, Yaku, Amami and Dokan visited the capital (then Fujiwara-kyō ) to pay tribute in the next year. Historians identify Dokan as Tokunoshima of the Amami Islands. An article of 714 reports that an investigative team returned to
7668-409: The capital, together with people of Amami, Shigaki ( 信覺 ) , and Kumi ( 球美 ) among others. Shigaki should be Ishigaki Island of the Yaeyama Islands. Some identify Kumi as Iriomote Island of the Yaeyama Islands because Komi is an older name for Iriomote. Others consider that Kumi corresponded to Kume Island of the Okinawa Islands. Around this time "Southern Islands" replaced Yaku as
7776-470: The central government lost its interest in the southern islands. The southern islands reappeared in written history at the end of the 10th century. According to the Nihongi ryaku (c. 11th–12th centuries), Dazaifu , the administrative center of Kyushu, reported that the Nanban (southern barbarians) pirates, who were identified as Amami islanders by the Shōyūki (982–1032 for the extant portion), pillaged
7884-464: The construction of six new helipads. The islands comprising the prefecture are the southern two thirds of the archipelago of the Ryūkyū Islands ( 琉球諸島 , Ryūkyū-shotō ) . Okinawa's inhabited islands are typically divided into three geographical archipelagos. From northeast to southwest: Approximately 36% percent of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as natural parks , namely
7992-449: The depot. On May 15, 1972, the U.S. government handed over the islands to Japanese administration. The 1995 kidnaping, beating, and rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen triggered large protests in Okinawa. Reports by the local media of accidents and crimes committed by U.S. servicemen have reduced the local population's support for the U.S. military bases. A strong emotional response has emerged from certain incidents. As
8100-404: The east coast of Okinawa Island. Between 1965 and 1972, Okinawa was a key staging point for United States in its military operations directed towards North Vietnam. Along with Guam, it presented a geographically strategic launch pad for covert bombing missions over Cambodia and Laos. Anti- Vietnam War sentiment became linked politically to the movement for reversion of Okinawa to Japan. In 1965,
8208-652: The end of World War II, the United States set up the United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands administration, which ruled Okinawa for 27 years. During this "trusteeship rule", the United States established numerous military bases on the Ryukyu islands. The Ryukyu independence movement was an Okinawan movement that clamored against U.S. rule. During the Korean War , B-29 Superfortresses flew bombing missions over Korea from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa. The military buildup on
8316-543: The group. The native population do not have their own name, since they do not recognize themselves as a group this size. Ryukyu is the principal candidate because it roughly corresponds to the maximum extent of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. However, it is not necessarily considered neutral by the people of Amami, Miyako, and Yaeyama, who were marginalized under the Okinawa-centered kingdom. The Ōsumi Islands are not included because they are culturally part of Kyushu . There
8424-455: The introduction of American military bases, there are an increasing number of half-American children in Okinawa, including prefecture governor Denny Tamaki . The prefecture also has a sizable minority of Yamato people from mainland Japan; exact population numbers are difficult to establish, as the Japanese government does not officially recognise Ryukyuans as a distinct ethnic group from Yamatos. The overall ethnic identity of Okinawa residents
8532-463: The island during the Cold War increased a division between local inhabitants and the American military. Under the 1952 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan , United States Forces Japan (USFJ) have maintained a large military presence. During the mid-1950s, the U.S. seized land from Okinawans to build new bases or expand currently existing ones. According to
8640-802: The islands", noting that "almost all the voices in China pressing the Okinawa issue are affiliated in some way with the government". Taiwan also claims the Senkaku islands but made it clear on multiple occasions that they will not work with China over the Senkaku Islands dispute. Many popular singers and musical groups come from Okinawa Prefecture. These include the groups Speed and Orange Range , as well as solo singers Namie Amuro and Gackt , among many others. The islands were described by Hayashi Shihei in Sangoku Tsūran Zusetsu , which
8748-529: The islands, first seen in the biography of Jianzhen , written in 779. Agricultural societies begun in the 8th century slowly developed until the 12th century. Since the islands are located at the eastern perimeter of the East China Sea relatively close to Japan, China and Southeast Asia , the Ryukyu Kingdom became a prosperous trading nation. Also during this period, many Gusukus , similar to castles, were constructed. The Ryukyu Kingdom entered into
8856-461: The loss of precious lives. After that, the kings of the Ryukyus paid tribute to the Japanese shōgun as well as to the Chinese emperor . During this period, Ryukyu kings were selected by a Japanese clan, unbeknownst to the Chinese, who believed the Ryukyus to be a loyal tributary. In 1655, the tributary relations between Ryukyu and Qing were formally approved by the shogunate. In 1874, the Ryukyus terminated tribute relations with China. In 1872,
8964-576: The main island. According to a 2007 Okinawa Times poll, 85% of Okinawans opposed the presence of the U.S. military, because of noise pollution from military drills, the risk of aircraft accidents, environmental degradation , and crowding from the number of personnel there, although 73% of Japanese citizens appreciated the mutual security treaty with the U.S. and the presence of the USFJ. In another poll conducted by The Asahi Shimbun in May 2010, 43% of
9072-482: The main island. Okinawa hosts about two-thirds of the 50,000 American forces in Japan although the islands account for less than one percent of total lands in Japan. Suburbs have grown towards and now surround two historic major bases, Futenma and Kadena. A sizeable portion of the land used by the U.S. military is Camp Gonsalves in the north of the island. On December 21, 2016, 10,000 acres of Camp Gonsalves were returned to Japan. On June 25, 2018, Okinawa residents held
9180-522: The main islands Kyushu , Shikoku and Honshu . There are occasional typhoons during the summer. Winter temperature is mild with optimal clearness of the ocean water. The English and Japanese uses of the term "Ryukyu" differ. In English, the term Ryukyu may apply to the entire chain of islands, while in Japanese Ryukyu usually refers only to the islands that were previously part of the Ryūkyū Kingdom after 1624. Nansei-shotō ( 南西諸島 )
9288-515: The mainland. Additionally, there is some discussion of secession from Japan. As the territorial dispute between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands intensified in the early 21st century, Chinese Communist Party -backed scholars published essays calling for a reexamination of Japan's sovereignty over the Ryukyus. In 2013 The New York Times described the comments by said scholars as well as military figures as appearing to constitute "a semiofficial campaign in China to question Japanese rule of
9396-671: The major islands have their own distinct languages. In modern times, the Japanese language has been the primary language of the islands, with the Okinawan Japanese dialect prevalently spoken. The outlying Daitō Islands were uninhabited until the Meiji period , when their development was started mainly by people from the Izu Islands south of Tokyo , with the people there speaking the Hachijō language . The islands were held by
9504-593: The mid-11th century, introduced a merchant named Hachirō-mauto, who traveled all the way to the land of the Fushū in the east and to Kika Island ( 貴賀之島 , Kikanoshima ) in the west. The goods he obtained from the southern islands included shells of Green Turban Shell and sulfur . The Shinsarugakuki was not mere fiction; the Golden Hall of Chūson-ji (c. 1124) in northeastern Japan was decorated with tens of thousands of green turban shells. Some articles of 1187 of
9612-428: The most abundant coral reefs found in the world. The world's largest colony of rare blue coral is found off Ishigaki Island . The sea turtles return yearly to the southern islands of Okinawa to lay their eggs. The summer months carry warnings to swimmers regarding venomous jellyfish and other dangerous sea creatures. Okinawa is a major producer of sugar cane , pineapple , papaya , and other tropical fruit, and
9720-579: The north to tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af ) in the south. Precipitation is very high and is affected by the rainy season and typhoons . Except the outlying Daitō Islands , the island chain has two major geologic boundaries, the Tokara Strait (between the Tokara and Amami Islands) and the Kerama Gap (between the Okinawa and Miyako Islands ). The islands beyond
9828-407: The plateau of Kikai Island is one of the largest sites of the era. It lasted from 9th to 13th centuries and at its height from the second half of the 11th to the first half of the 12th century. It was characterized by a near-total absence of the native Kaneku Type pottery, which prevailed in coastal communities. What were found instead were goods imported from mainland Japan, China and Korea. Also found
9936-560: The prefecture was returned to Japan in 1972. Okinawa comprises just 0.6 percent of Japan's total land mass, but about 26,000 (75%) of United States Forces Japan personnel are assigned to the prefecture; the continued U.S. military presence in Okinawa is controversial. The oldest evidence of human existence on the Ryukyu Islands is from the Stone Age and was discovered in Naha and Yaeyama . Some human bone fragments thought to be from
10044-454: The same route. In 754 the Chinese monk Jianzhen managed to reach Japan. His biography Tō Daiwajō Tōseiden (779) makes reference to Akonaha ( 阿兒奈波 ) on the route, which may refer to modern-day Okinawa Island. An article of 754 states that the government repaired mileposts that had originally been set in the southern islands in 735. However, the missions from 777 onward chose another route that directly connected Kyūshū to China. Thereafter
10152-500: The southern islands. It is noted by scholars that the character representing the first syllable of Kikai changed from ki ( 貴 , noble) to ki ( 鬼 , ogre) from the end of the 12th century to the early 13th century. The literature-based theory that Kikai Island was Japan's trade center of the southern islands is supported by the discovery of the Gusuku Site Complex in 2006. The group of archaeological sites on
10260-752: The southern part of the chain makes up Okinawa Prefecture . The divide is between the Amami and Okinawa Islands , with the Daitō Islands part of Okinawa Prefecture. The Ryukyu islands are commonly divided into two or three primary groups: The following are the grouping and names used by the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Department of the Japan Coast Guard . The islands are listed from north to south where possible. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, another government organization that
10368-435: The statistics as unreliable, since violence against women is under-reported. Between 1972 and 2009, U.S. servicemen committed 5,634 criminal offenses, including 25 murders, 385 burglaries, 25 arsons, 127 rapes, 306 assaults and 2,827 thefts. Yet, per Marine Corps Installations Pacific data, U.S. service members are convicted of far fewer crimes than local Okinawans. In 2009, a new Japanese government came to power and froze
10476-504: The word "Okinawa" is used to refer to Okinawa Prefecture and does not include Kagoshima Prefecture. (People from the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture object to being included in "Okinawa".) Inside Okinawa Prefecture, "Okinawa" is used to refer to Okinawa Island, and does not include the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands. People in the Yaeyama Islands use the expression "go to Okinawa" when they visit Okinawa Island. Some scholars group
10584-477: The year. The climate of the islands ranges from humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ) in the north, such as Okinawa Island , to tropical rainforest climate (Köppen climate classification Af ) in the south such as Iriomote Island . Snowfall is unheard of at sea level. However, on January 24, 2016, sleet was reported in Nago for the first time on record. Eleven cities are located within
10692-796: Was formed, which evolved into the Ryukyu Provisional Central Government ( 琉球臨時中央政府 , Ryūkyū Rinji Chūō Seifu ) in 1951. In 1952, the U.S. was formally granted control over Ryukyu Islands south of 29°N latitude, and other Pacific islands, under the San Francisco Peace Treaty between the Allied Powers and Japan. The Ryukyu Provisional Central Government then became the Government of the Ryukyu Islands which existed from 1952 to 1972. Administrative rights reverted to Japan in 1972, under
10800-514: Was maintained until 824 when it was merged into Ōsumi Province . Ancient Japan's commitment to the southern islands is attributed to ideological and strategic factors. Japan applied to herself the Chinese ideology of emperorship that required "barbarian people" who longed for the great virtue of the emperor. Thus Japan treated people on its periphery, i.e., the Emishi to the east and the Hayato and
10908-518: Was not until the 18th century that Okinawa was specified in its own script as 沖縄. The Japanese map series known as the Ryukyu Kuniezu lists the island as Wokinaha Shima ( 悪鬼納嶋 ) in 1644 and Okinawa Shima ( 沖縄嶋 ) after 1702. The name Okinawa Shima was chosen by the Meiji government for the new prefecture when they annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1879. Outside of Okinawa Prefecture,
11016-575: Was originally used by the imperial court of Ancient Japan. Yanagita hypothesized that the southern islands were the origin of the Japanese people and preserved many elements that were subsequently lost in Japan. The term is outdated today. The first mention of the islands in Chinese literature occur in the Records of the Grand Historian . Qin Shi Huang heard of "happy immortals" living on
11124-586: Was overthrown in 1203. He lost the positions of shugo and jitō and only regained the posts of shugo of Satsuma Province and jitō of the Satsuma portion of Shimazu Estate. The shugo of Ōsumi Province and jitō of the Ōsumi portion of Shimazu Estate, both of which controlled Tanegashima, were succeeded by the Hōjō clan (especially its Nagoe branch). The Nagoe family sent the Higo clan to rule Ōsumi. A branch family of
11232-431: Was perceived by some inside Japan as a potential target for China, should the communist government feel threatened by United States. American military secrecy blocked any local reporting on what was actually occurring at bases such as Kadena Air Base. As information leaked out, and images of air strikes were published, the local population began to fear the potential for retaliation. Political leaders such as Makoto Oda ,
11340-486: Was published in 1785. An article in the 1878 edition of the Globe Encyclopaedia of Universal Information describes the islands: Loo-Choo, Lu-Tchu , or Lieu-Kieu , a group of thirty-six islands stretching from Japan to Formosa, in 26°–27°40′ N. lat., 126°10′–129°5′ E. long., and tributary to Japan. The largest, Tsju San ('middle island'), is about 60 miles long and 12 [miles] broad; others are Sannan in
11448-456: Was relocated to Chiran of mainland Kyūshū in 1595. Although it moved back to Tanegashima in 1599, Yakushima and Kuchinoerabu Island fall under the direct control of the Shimazu clan. These islands all constituted Satsuma Domain during the Edo period . The Amami Islands were a focal point for dispute between the southward-expanding Satsuma Domain and the northward-expanding Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1453,
11556-441: Was reported that the U.S. military—contrary to repeated denials by The Pentagon —had kept tens of thousands of barrels of Agent Orange on the island. The Japanese and American governments have angered some U.S. veterans, who believe they were poisoned by Agent Orange while serving on the island, by characterizing their statements regarding Agent Orange as "dubious", and ignoring their requests for compensation. Reports that more than
11664-646: Was the Kamuiyaki pottery, which was produced in Tokunoshima from the 11th to 14th centuries. The skewed distribution of Kamuiyaki peaked at Kikai and Tokunoshima suggests that the purpose of Kamuiyaki production was to serve it to Kikai. Around the Hōen era (1135–1141), Tanegashima became part of Shimazu Estate on southern Kyūshū. The Shimazu Estate was said to have established at Shimazu, Hyūga Province in 1020s and dedicated to Kanpaku Fujiwara no Yorimichi . In
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